We had Montclair Construction do an earthquake reinforcing project on our house using plans from Dan Szumski. It took roughly two months from start to finish. Unlike many other contractors we've observed in our neighborhood over the years, these guys communicated well and showed up on time. When they showed up for work it wasn't just one guy, but a crew of 3-5 people depending on the work they were doing that day. The foreman, Mishael, was fantastic to work with. His crew was focused and seemed happy, not something you always see. There were a couple of problems that came up, but that is inevitable for retrofit projects. Each time they resolved the problem in a reasonable time. MC handled the building permit paperwork for us, making our lives easier. They had to bring in an engineer do some of the inspections because that was required. When the project was done they did an excellent job cleaning up. We'll use them again whenever we need the help. read more

I had Montclair construction replace foundation, install bolting, repair dry rot, and install french drains on my prior house, in 2006-07. They did a first rate job. Also, they were on time, stayed within budget, professional, clean, courteous, etc. So I hired them to do an even more complicated structural job on my current home. Robert Jarratt provided the most thorough and informative estimate and worked with me to come up with solid, code-compliant solutions to the issues on the job. He also noticed details and issues that other companies overlooked. Montclair is not cheap, but you get what you pay for. For a serious structural job, I would (and do) use Montclair. As far as the rating, note that all of the good reviews are filtered out. Shame on you, Yelp. In my opinion, if you want a fair assessment, read ALL of the reviews, including the "filtered" ones. Better yet, ask them for a proposal, and you will see for yourself how professional and knowledgable they are. read more

The previously mentioned bridge developed some problems after a two year period of service. Montclair Construction came out, assessed the problems and repaired everything over a two and a half day time period. The work was done perfectly and at no charge. This is obviously a company that stands behind their work and take pride in what they do. I would not hesitate to recommend them to anyone needing construction. Thank you! read more

We were totally ripped off by these guys. One of the main guys Robert was a liar. The supposedly professionals we had with them did not appear professional at all. We had to call several times and speak with the head person before we got our preliminary assessment which was $1000 and nearly unreadable. I would not recommend them. Terrible. read more

This company has been sending me fliers and letters on a regular basis for what seems like more than a year. Finally, when I needed some work done around the house I gave them a call and made an appointment. They left a voice message on my cell phone canceling the appointment only minutes before it was to take place, promising to call back to reschedule. Well, it's been a few weeks and I've never heard back. Not a great way to start a relationship. I've moved on and found a new place recommended on Angie's List. read more

After years of getting their flyers and beginning to work on a major landscape project, I decided to give these folks a call. They came and diagnosed my deck as a demolition when 3 other contractors all assured me that the deck was in great shape just need some foundation beams added for stability. Furthermore, I was quoted $40,000 for a job that ended up costing $2,500! I asked for an estimate to replace a top deck and was told it would be $50,000 without even measuring it. The ridiculous part was this one was half the size of the other deck I was told would cost $40,000. In my 15 years of home ownership, I have never known of any contractor that quotes blindly without even talking a closer look or measuring the area to calculate costs. In the end, we found another licensed contractor who is charging less than 1/3 of the costs for the project that Montclair quoted!!! Won't bother calling them for any future remodeling projects. read more

An excellent experience all around on our foundation work from estimate to the signing off of the permit. I really liked that when they came to do the estimate, they were not selling themselves, but just talking about what needed to be done. Hardworking, polite, good communication, tidy, excellent construction of new piers under a house on a steep hill. Highly recommend. We will be hiring them again. 3/31/15 UPDATE: We have rehired them to replace our sidewalk, retaining walls and front concrete stairs as well as add drainage behind the house. Having another excellent experience with their hardworking and courteous team. read more

First a little background...I had hired another contractor to remodel my basement and at the first rain it flooded. Instead of fixing the issue, they left me fending for myself and looking for someone else to do the work. After months of looking for a contractor to fix the flooding, I came upon Montclair Construction. They reviewed the work done by the other contractor and showed me what was done wrong. They came up with a very reasonable bid and were able to do the work quickly. I wish I had known about Montclair Construction prior to doing the work downstairs since the guys I originally hired obviously didn't know what they were doing when it came to drainage. Between sealing the floor that I had done based on Montclair's recommendation, having Carlo from Montclair fill the concrete where there was a big gap between the old and new foundation left by my old contractor, and installing the sump pump that Robert from Montclair designed, we fixed any drainage issues that were not properly done the first time. Turns out they finished the project just in time as we got a good amount of rain just after. The great news is that NO water got into the basement after the work they did. So, I must give them a super big thank you! It is good to know there are still contractors you can count on. read more

In early April 2017 we contracted with Montclair Construction to replace 200+ sq. ft of 10" v-rustic siding on the second story of our home. Robert Jarratt estimated the job to last seven days and said that when they started they would work straight through until completed and cleanup (my request). What impressed us is they did what they said they would do, no argument and no extras (an ugly process that normally ends badly between you and your contractor). In short, they live up to their billing as a Diamond Certified company (I only higher Diamond Certified contractors for this reason). The weather during their work was not very cooperative but Tom Connelly and his helper Paul worked very efficiently pulling the old siding, weather barrier and a window, getting inspections (El Cerrito) on the studs, then the newly installed weather barrier and new window. The installation of the new siding occurred just before the rains came on a Thursday and lasted all weekend. They spent a half day on that raining Friday completing installation of the interior window trim. One last thing that impressed us was their handling of a misunderstanding between the contractor and the EC Building Inspector over the height of the window on the second story. Montclair Construction very professionally argued their case with the EC Building Dept. getting them to waive their finding and clear the path to an acceptable final inspection. Had I been the Owner-Contractor of record, removing and reinstalling the window to correct its height above the floor would have been an additional $5K added to the job. Will I use them again? I would love to. read more

I'm bumping up my review based on the professional manner in which my complaint was followed up. I think my project may have fallen through the cracks in this case, which is something that can happen from time to time. It's not enough for me to consider hiring them, but I do think that they would be capable of doing the work, had we not gotten off on the wrong foot. read more

As we are sitting here with the rain coming down and the wind howling, I thought I'd finally make the time to write my review on the work completed last November 2011 by Monclair Construction. I must admit, if I had looked at the reviews for them on this site, I would not have called when we experienced a roof leak in our living room. I'm actually glad I called first and read reviews after the work was completed. Our experience was markedly different than what I read. I called Monclair Construction to have leak detection work done to find the source of the roof leak. I was able to set an appointment with Robert Jarratt quickly. They showed up on time and were able to identify the cause and show and explain to me what was going on. The agreed upon fee was reasonable as well. I was left with a good overall assessment of our roof as well as a quote on recommended remediation. We decided to move forward with Montclair Construction for a few reasons: The quote was reasonable. I'm sure we could have found someone to replace 1/2 of our roof for less, but we went the least expensive route 6 years earlier and were not pleased with being in the current situation. Robert was quite knowledgeable and provided a good assessment of our roof overall as well as specific to our current leak problem. He also explained what needed to be done six years ago when the whole roof was replaced to avoid our current dilemma. He was also straightforward and did not seem concerned about glossing over what really had to be done to fix the problem. The team showed up with only a few days delay due to the need to finish up another job. They were thorough and professional and based on the statement of work...did a great job and actually over delivered. They took into consideration what painting had to be done by me, the customer, after replacing 1/2 the roof and even made a return trip to reposition the new drain spout so I would not have to paint part of the house. I did not even have to ask them to do this. In scheduling the final walk-through, I had only one item to address and Robert addressed it before I even mentioned it. The crew was out to complete the work right away. Overall, this was a great contractor experience for us and we will definitely use Monclair Construction again. read more

Montclair Construction has just completed a project here that included earthquake retrofit, deck repair, and termite damage repair. We greatly appreciated the professionalism and courtesy that everyone showed, especially the estimator and the project foreman. We would definitely go to Montclair Construction again for future needs. read more

Montclair Construction did some major structural work on my house in Oakland and did a great job. They were quick and effective and it went as smoothly as major construction can go. ;-) I would definitely use them again for any work that needed to be done read more

I worked for Carlo from 1988 until around 2002 off and on I was an estimator and worker . I had my ups and downs mostly ups . The one thing I learned about Carlo is he will always place the right employee on the job. I did stairs so he had me build stairs and decks. I worked a couple jobs where we repaired foundations by supporting the joists with piers and removed and replaced sections of the foundation as needed. He DID NOT try to sell you on a total replacement if it was not needed. Customers were always happy . I really loved return customers . They knew they made the right choice. Carlo helped me obtain a license . I really appreciated that . Carlo is a great man . He spends some time in Florida at Flag every year . Then returns with a clear mind and builds his company . He has plenty of jobs on the board being worked on now and can schedule you in quickly and handle it .Call for an estimate now .You will have no regrets. read more

After BBB involvement, Montclair Construction returned my $1,000. The owner contacted me. We discussed the issue. He validated my concerns, and ultimately returned the funds. I am satisfied with the outcome here. However, the process in getting here was frustrating. Going forward, I will never sign an agreement to arbitrate with a contractor. We didnt go to arbitration in this case. However, in general, the arbitration agreement seems to bias contractor behavior towards unresponsiveness. The arbitration process puts the full burden of the cost and effort motivate a resolution on the complaintant. So, if the issue is regarding a small sum of money, the contractor can be certain (well, almost certain) that the complainant will just drop the ball because the cost to pursue the issue may be more than what the return on a successful outcome will even yield. You live. You learn. read more

After seeing that we were not happy with our first experience with Montclair Construction, Carlo contacted us to talk about what happened and try to reach a middle ground. They ended up giving us a construction credit for half of the price we originally paid and were very accommodating on working with us to get the construction taken care of. In an industry that generally lacks acceptable customer service, I have been pleasantly surprised by Montclair. Thanks for paying attention to your customers! read more

We hired Montclair Construction to design, engineer, and build our 2 level deck. Arthur and Orlando worked diligently to meet all our expectations, and we are very happy with the final result. Like any project, there were challenging moments, but their team consistently worked to find solutions that would work for all of us. We have a few remaining glitches that we are confident they will resolve soon. I highly recommend Arthur, Orlando, and their team for your deck or other construction project. read more

I cannot say that it was unexpected (after having read other reviews regarding this company) I called the other day to make an appointment for today. We confirmed the time and place. The estimator shows up over an hour late (says that he was in a company meeting). Looked @ my pool, deck, and retaining wall and within 7 minutes says that he would have to bring an engineer out ($450). They could have told me that over the phone!!!! Please save yourself the time and effort. AVOID THIS COMPANY. I would not use this company, nor recommend this company. I think this is a precursor for much worse to come if I considered them. Good luck! read more

Montclair Construction just spent several weeks improving our backyard- they built a retaining wall and a fence. Every step of the process was clear and predictable. It was obvious how they price the projects, the work was completed on time and better than we expected, everyone was really nice (important when a team of people is spending all day every day in your backyard for three weeks) and questions and concerns were answered promptly and completely. I was particularly impressed with the work they did at the end of each day to make sure everything was as clean and neat as possible. I would recommend Montclair Construction to anyone who needed work done and we would definitely hire them again. We're so happy! read more

To their credit, Montclair management contacted me to try to rectify the problem(s) as soon as they noted my previous Yelp posting. Since most of my complaints had been resolved or would take a tremendous amount of work to confirm, they offered to fix another job done "out of contract" or any related handy work gratis. The crew that came out this time completed the job to my satisfaction. read more

In the past few years Montclair Construction has identified and repaired two major leaks at our house, leaks that others had [at great cost] tried and failed to fix. On both of the jobs, Tom Connolly led the effort. On both of the jobs, the work was done with the highest degree of professionalism and care; Tom was painstaking in his persistence and insistence that the work be done right. Tom devised novel and effective ways to deal with some tricky issues that came up during the course of the work including undoing the errors of earlier contractors. The work was done on schedule; the house was kept as neat and clean as possible during a construction effort; all indicators [after two rainy -- actually not so rainy -- seasons] are that that the work was a success. Raphael Kasper read more

We contracted with Montclair Construction to repair issues related to underground water seepage that had eroded our foundation over time. They installed two French drains and two sister foundations and repaired the foundation at our sewer ejection pump. The job was completed without incident and within the expected time frame (given required City permit). Communication was excellent with Robert, our prime contact and Diana in the office, and the crew was friendly. We appreciated Robert also pointing out some dry rot issues for us to address without putting on any pressure to do it through them. read more

The wood retaining wall which was put in by the previous owner completely failed. Given the very steep backyard and that my neighbor's house would end up at the bottom of my yard, it was really important to find someone who could design and build something that will last a very long time. I called many people and was only able to get two bids. I worked with Justin and told him what I thought was needed. In the end after their in-house structural engineer was done, he showed me a variety of options and costs. The communication throughout the process including during the bid, the design process, and construction was great. The guys who did the work were courteous and when I needed to go in the back yard they made sure I was safe (power tools where turned of, etc...). These guys worked very hard and ended up being ahead of schedule. We have done other projects on this house which have required a lot of coordination between permits, inspectors, structural engineer, and the contractor. With Montclair they did all of that for us and made the whole process significantly less stressful. I will keep their card on my fridge door for next time. I would absolutely work with them again and recommend them to a friend. read more

Robert was our go to guy for the bid, the details, the questions. He is an on-time-do-what-he-says kind of guy. I think it helped in my case, that I am a handyman and could relate on somewhat of a technical level. But, that said, the company did do a good job with a relatively large (for us) project. We replaced our driveway and garage floor, put in some foundation-supporting piers, and improved drainage around the house. They loaded out a bunch of concrete cleanly. We were out of town for about 3 weeks during the process, and they came and went safely and securely. Didn't lose our dog (who is a flight risk). Permits and plans were clear and managed in a timely fashion. We had a sewer lateral done by a separate co. while they were still here, and they managed that cleanly. I say, find Robert and get these guys. They do a fine job. read more

Montclair construction just finished 2 big drainage structural jobs on our home, a large French drain and roof and dry rot repairs. They were professional , thorough, prompt and hard working. We were very pleased with their service and would use them again if we needed to read more

They built two sections of fence for me as well as a deck some years ago. They were prompt, polite and reasonably priced

I am thrilled I chose Montclair Construction . For starters many contractors and companies do not seem to want to take on small jobs. I had an incredibly old bathroom flooring that needed to be replaced as well as the fan and toilet, which was leaking badly at the base. I called Montclair Consruction and set everything up with Arthur who was super helpful from start to finish. The work crew was professional, and never was bothered by my many questions I had for them. They did a beautiful job on an old bathroom that now looks fantastic!!! I love my bathroom ! read more

I recently needed to have my foundation completely replaced along with a new back porch. I was fortunate to have discovered and researched Montclair Construction. I was very nervous about the whole process, but Robert Jarrett was available to explain the entire process from start to finish. The main reason Montclair Construction stood out from all the other companies that I interviewed is that Senior Project manager, Robert Jarrett "LISTENED" to what my needs were when helping me design the back porch. Even though I said I wanted a "simple and basic" porch, it turned out beautifully and exceeds what was drawn on the blue prints. As Robert and his team drew up plans and submitted paperwork to the City of Berkeley for my porch project, I had Robert come out again to get an estimate on my foundation replacement. Robert's keen eye noticed that the house was rotating off of the foundation. Once I reviewed the contracts and permits were issued, Montclair Construction started the task of getting my property up to code. The team of experts assigned to my projects were "AMAZING!!'' Foremen Felix and Javier were knowledgeable and very professional. I learned a lot about codes and permits. The team always explained why something had to be done and how it fits into the overall scope of work. Robert Jarrett's estimate for the completion of work was ahead of schedule even though there were two projects going on at the same time. The projects were orchestrated with ease in my opinion. I would highly recommend Montclair Construction as a company that you can trust to improve your home's value by providing quality work and skilled tradesmen backed by high industry standards. Everything from start to finish was done by the book. I also want to praise Foreman Felix for sitting in the dark on more than one occasion waiting for the poured concrete to set before he could leave the job site. Felix really whistles and sings while he works!! read more

I had such a bad experience with Carlo Khatchi from Montclair Construction, I have to share....it's almost humorous. He comes to my house to take a look and to offer me a quote. He knocks on the door and then I approach. He says "hello" and then walks right in and starts looking around. I'm looking for a few different things to be done to my house, but on the phone we had only mentioned some foundation work. I ask him, as he stands there in my living room, "do you do primarily foundation work, or do you do other things such as stucco, windows, etc." He tells me, "Primarily foundation work." "OK", I say and lead him outside. We start walking around the house, he peeks into the crawlspace, and then starts telling me all the stuff I could do, "if I wanted to do it right". We keep going around the house and his suggestions for "doing it right" start to include stucco, windows, waterless hot water, gutter work, earthquake retrofit, etc. All of the things he has already told me he doesn't focus on. Then he tells me, "I can do it all for about $65,000. We can take care of all of it." I say, "Well what would it take for you to break that down for me so I can see the costs for the different jobs." He says, "For what?" (with a confused look on his face). I say, "So I can understand what the costs of each are & what the $65k is based on." He then says, "It's based on my many years of experience on 2000 homes and the square footage of this house." I hadn't really given him any details on my house. Then I asked, "but didn't you just tell me that you focused on foundations, but now you're offering me a quote off the top of your head for all these other items, based only on your experience?" He says "Yes, what's your question?" Here's where it started to get good... Then he says, "I'm not gonna f--k you." And I say, "well I'd like to see a quote so I can feel comfortable with that." And then he says "f--k you!!, go find yourself another contractor." As he was walking across my lawn, he directed the f-word at me about 5 more times. I just laughed and told him to have a nice day. Lesson learned, if you are going to work with Montclair Construction, don't ask any questions about their off-the-cuff pricing and you might be OK....who knows. In the meantime, I'm looking for a real contractor. (btw: I almost forgot to mention, I also work in the construction and real estate business for a major corporation so I've managed both multi-million dollar and lower cost construction contracts...never seen anything quite like Mr. Khatchi. But of course, my company only works with reputable companies.) read more

Well, they got the job done.. Mostly. However, the two workers assigned to my job had poor attention to detail, poor communication skills, and took FOREVER. They would also get pulled off my job all the time for 'emergencys'. When I met with the estimator, Tim, the first estimate was about $4000. Then I got one in writing a few days later that was about $8000. Also note that I was told this was a relatively small job and could be done within a couple of weeks max. Well, we started about 6 weeks ago and I'm just paying my last invoice now.. And it all came out to about $13,000... Plus, they hooked up my dishwasher airgap backwards so it gushed gallons of water all over my new countertops and cabinets. They admitted to not even testing it after they hooked it up. I fixed it myself!! So basically, way over deadline, way over budget, and it was a bumpy ride the whole time.. I'll try Acme Anything next time.. read more

Terrible Terrible Terrible...dealing with the entire group - work finally finished, but cost 3x what they stated in contract (read the fine lines) and took forever. They blamed any wrongdoing on us and didn't take any responsibility for delays, extra cost, or frustration on our part. They also underbid other contractors but will end up costing you much more. Already, they have had to come out and redo things that have cracked since their work was done. At this point, I am paying other people to fix their mistakes. Very disappointing. read more

Stay far away from this company! I had a guy come out for a quote, and because we are selling the house, I told him I didn't want to put a ton of money into it. He took all the info and did all the measuring and said I would have a quote in 2 weeks. 2 months later, nothing, so I call and talk to the owner who says he will find out what happened. Later that day I get an email from the gentleman who came over saying basically, because I said I didn't want to spend a lot on the house, I couldn't afford their services. EXCUSE ME! What seems expensive to you may be cheap for me. I own many properties and know what stuff costs. Their assuming I didn't have money is insulting at best, especially because we do have the money. YOU GUYS BLEW IT BIG TIME!!!!!!!!! read more

Working with Montclair Construction was one of the more pleasurable contractor experiences that we've ever had. Although the job was relatively small (replacing a garage window and installing new structural supports to halt settling of the floor above), Robert was always responsive to our questions and kept the project right on schedule. Justin and Felix performed the work with the utmost professionalism; each night they cleaned up the work area to be safe for our children, they finished the project ahead of schedule, and the final appearance of the window and wall exceeded our expectations. It was definitely worth the money to have the job done right, and we will gladly use Montclair Construction in the future. read more

I got three bids to install an outdoor drainage system to correct a problem of rainwater pooling underneath the lower bedroom floor. MC&S came in with the most thoroughly written, precise bid, and it was also the lowest bid. The work was done efficiently,although it did take one day longer than expected. The yard was a bit messy after the job was completed but Roberto and his crew came back several times to make sure the drip system was working properly and to see that everything was put back in its place. Robert, the estimator and main contact, always refturned my calls in a timely way. Roberto and his crew are very personable and hardworking. I highly recommend them if you need construction or repair work. read more

Montclair Construction did a really great job for us. The estimator, Robert, was very thorough and explained the work clearly. The crew was very professional and did fine work. Highly recommended. read more

I recently needed some assistance from Montclair Construction regarding a complicated engineering project. They were responsive, friendly, and thorough. In particular, they took the time to explain the project to me in a way that made practical sense to a non-professional. I was impressed with both their technical expertise and personal goodwill. read more

Worthless. Came over to the house and said they wouldn't even try to find a leak. Not worth the time of the call or the meeting.

I recently had an estimate done by Carlo Khatchi, one of the owners at Montclair Construction & Structural, Inc. We had some cracks on the outside of the house and weren't sure if we had some foundational issues. We weren't sure if we had to replace our outside cement stairs next to the house either. Carlo came by and took a look and assured us that our foundation was solid and that we did not need work done. This was obviously wonderful news and I was delighted. Then Carlo continued to walk around that house, reviewing the work we had done to the house and listened to our plans all the while, giving us great advice! He did not need to provide all of these tips but he just kept asking us our plans and what we were going to do. Then he would proceed to tell us how we should do it and other things that we should do as well. These other things had nothing to do with him, nor would he make any money off of them; he just wanted to help us! Imagine that, he wanted to HELP us... I would hire them in a heartbeat. I felt like I was thrown back in time, a time when companies cared about their future customers and weren't always looking for the next buck. Thank you Carlo! read more

We used Montclair Construction for several sequential projects in spring 2015 and were very happy with each one; that's why we hired them again. From building and strengthening retaining walls against intruding soil, to replacing siding, to cement repair, to gate repair and door installation, every job was promptly quoted, then performed expertly and timely completed. I greatly appreciated the willingness of each team of workers to attend to details that I wanted done when I pointed them out. It really did feel like they wanted me to be satisfied! And I am. read more

I worked with Martin from Montclair Construction on installing a french drainage system around my house in the Oakland Hills neighborhood. He was so helpful and always available to answer my questions and address my concerns. Out of 5 estimates that I got from various contractors, Martin gave me the most comprehensive one at a very reasonable price. They did a very good job and finished the work pretty much on time. I highly recommend this company. read more