I reached out to Alex about a project in South San Francisco that I needed help on. He came over…read moreto the house, spent over an hour with me, explained the process in South San Francisco, what to expect, how he could help and what my options were. His council gave me the tools to make my best decision. That decision ended up not needing his assistance. I offered to pay him for his valuable time; he said he was happy to help and told me to keep him in mind for the future-refusing payment. I was so appreciative for his advise, time and expertise. I felt confident in his abilities and I would gladly work with and recommend Alex gain.

Working with Alex and Jay on our full gut remodel in Millbrae made a huge difference. They know San…read moreMateo County and local building codes inside and out, guiding our plans through the review process to finish in minimal revisions with only minor comments. Beyond permitting and design, they acted as true partners rather than just a standard business, actively pointing out how to avoid costly, unnecessary upgrades and helping navigate challenges with our GC during construction. Jay's dedication stood out during a key site walk when he climbed up into the attic with me. Together, we caught framing, shear-wall, and electrical details that even the inspector missed (during the building phase). Having their architectural expertise on-site before insulation and drywall went up saved us significant money and ensured the structural integrity of the build. Not only did they handle the architecture and permitting in reasonable timeframe, but they supported us through every phase to ensure quality throughout. I genuinely appreciate their responsiveness and ongoing support.

We are so grateful for Jessica's help in getting a permit for our addition. It's been a long…read moreprocess which she forewarned us about. We've never worked with an architect before so we didn't know what to expect. Jessica is a great listener. She actually listens to her clients and makes recommendations based on that. We highly recommend Jessica! We look forward to the completion of our project. Thank you Jessica and your team!

Jessica has been an amazing partner during our remodel journey. She worked with us through the…read morestarts and stops of the process and helped us realize the vision for our remodel. She was incredibly informative and communicative during the permit review process, turning what we had heard could be a nightmare into a fairly smooth process. Jessica and her team were always responsive and ready with answers to our many questions. We would not hesitate to recommend Jessica and the JSD Architecture team to anyone looking to remodel their house.

I worked with Jim on an extensive Palo Alto interior home remodel for a +100 year old craftsman…read morehome. Layout change, 2 bathrooms/bedrooms, new hallway orientation, closets, whole house electrical, laundry, kitchen, etc. Jim had great ideas, was patient, funny and a joy to work with. I was pretty hands on with my preferences and he was good at pointing out some dumb ideas I had in a kind and tolerant way that allowed me to see why what I proposed didn't make sense from various points of view, like home resale value, attractiveness to the average person, etc. Things I hadn't considered. Will gladly seek him for future work.

Jim has been the architect now on two of my extensive home projects…read more He has provided a calm and patient platform during the development of the design, guiding me smoothly to the finish line. His demeaner and experience in his craft was enjoyable and provided me with confidence in his ability to deliver what I was wanting. Also, with his knowing his way around my cities planning department, made the paperwork go smoothly.

Bay Area Drafting Co gave us exceptional service for our residential remodel project. We were…read moregiven a set of drawings with a number of problems and Valerie cleaned up the drawings and prepared them perfectly for our bidding process. She put everything together is a professional and timely manner. We would recommend BADC to any company needing quality and detail oriented drafting services.

We were all set to apply for a permit except for drafting plans. Not many want to work on a small…read moreproject, but luckily for me, when my contractor called Valerie, she had just finished a big job, and immediately got to work on my project. She is prompt, efficient, very patient in trying to make certain that I understood the plans, and very nice. The day after I received her final plan my contractor was able to get the permit for our kitchen extension and remodel. I highly recommend this company. You will definitely get your money's worth.

My wife and I had the pleasure of working with Geoff and his team on a full demolition and new…read moreconstruction of a single family home with ADU in San Francisco. We loved our experience and wholeheartedly endorse Winder Gibson to anyone looking for a full service architecture firm. From the outset, Geoff and his team demonstrated an exceptional understanding of our family's needs, which they transformed into a beautiful house design that resonates with our aspirations and lifestyle. We are currently transitioning to the construction phase, and are excited to raise our family in such a thoughtfully designed space. Also, Geoff and team are true experts at navigating the San Francisco permitting process. They efficiently moved us through permitting, both reacting to feedback from the city and helping us manage our neighbors. Honestly, we could not have permitted the house without their guidance. In a city where building homes can be difficult, the one two punch of beautiful design + the knowledge and skill to get it across the line was invaluable. We are so appreciative of Geoff and team.

We found our way to Winder Gibson through our realtor and could not be more grateful. We worked…read moreclosely with Geoff and Daniel to design our dream home. They were an absolute pleasure to work with and took on all details at every stage, including handling a difficult neighbor. At the same time, they were efficient and budget conscious, helping us stay on track both financially and time-line wise. They made what could be an overwhelming process move smoothly and enjoyably. We unreservedly recommend Winder Gibson.

We had an absolutely great experience working with Prestin Ravid Architects. We hired Eyal for a…read morefull interior remodel and addition to our house, and he consistently exceeded our expectations. We are first-time home buyers embarking on a substantial project with structural changes, and he made the process as simple and straightforward as possible. We tried to work with another well-known architectural firm in the Bay Area but after six months of painfully slow communication and frustration with the lead architect not understanding our preferences or project vision, we decided it was time to look elsewhere. We were referred to Eyal by another homeowner who worked with them and promptly made the switch after hearing the terrific reviews. Eyal understood our vision for the project very quickly and always delivered on time -- often ahead of the milestones outlined in the contract. He took the time to understand our preferences, goals, and budget quickly, and tailored his designs to suit our requirements. Their pricing was also very competitive, offering excellent value for the high-quality service provided. What stood out the most was Eyal's personality and communication. Eyal is a very genuine, empathetic human being and we really appreciated his care, excitement, and attention to detail. He was always available to answer questions and responded to emails within hours, which is rare and invaluable when working with architects. He brought in trusted colleagues to make fast progress with surveying, structural engineering, and energy needs. He is very efficient with knowledge of city permitting process and regulations and our permitting process was smooth and went much faster than expected. If you're looking for a reliable, high-quality architect who gets it right the first time, we highly recommend Prestin Ravid Architects. Thank you Eyal for the fantastic job on the plans and great vision with our house! We are excited for construction to begin and to see our dream home take shape soon.

I recently had the pleasure of working with Eyal. He demonstrated incredible skill and expertise…read moreand went above and beyond to deliver an outstanding result which got me access to an over the counter permit with SF's building department - which saved a lot of headache! His attention to detail and ability to understand and translate my vision into reality was truly remarkable. He took the time to listen to my ideas and requirements, and then used their expertise to create a design that got though the approval process without any delay. Throughout the entire process, he maintained a high level of professionalism and communication and kept me informed every step of the way Eyal's work truly speaks for itself, and I loved working with such a skilled, talented and reliable architect!

We worked with EDR to completely remodel a duplex into a single family home that hadn't been…read moretouched in 60 years. Eddie and Sarmad did a fantastic job in delivering the project. From the start of the design project, they used high quality sub contractors for design, engineering, and all the trades in the house. Fernando, our project manager was incredible. He approached the project with a keen eye for details and took total ownership over the sub contractors. He would stop by almost every night to ensure that the subs were performing their work and not leaving or damaging any other contractors' work. Sarmad is a problem solver. He sees an issue and thinks through how to solve it, then presents clear options to choose from. Throughout the process, we were not surprised by unanticipated expenses - all changes were clearly explained and we had the option to make changes via clear change orders. EDR uses Buildertrend for all program management and billing, which made payments, change approvals, and scheduling tracking seamless. While this sounds like a basic requirement in 2026, not all contractors use these services which just adds friction to the process. We couldn't recommend EDR more for the quality of work on our house, the schedule execution, care for detail, and just taking care of our project. Along the way, we never felt nickel & dimed, and the value of their services definitely exceeded our expectations.

We didn't end up hiring Eddie, Sarmad and the EDR crew but based on the quality of their work and…read moretheir honest and straightforward professionalism, we would definitely consider working with them in the future. We visited a gorgeous property they remodeled and it was designed impeccably and the quality of work also looked very good. It was also clear how much the owners loved Eddie and Sarmad and let us spend a long time visiting their home. We're grateful to Eddie and Sarmad for their patience with us as doing a first time ground up build is a huge investment for us and we had a lot of questions and concerns. They also went above and beyond their normal bid process when we asked for a more detailed bid for our budgeting purposes. Highly recommend reaching out to EDR!

The team at Zenith Engineers really are fantastic. I have worked with them many times through my…read morebuilder contractor client, and Zenith are producing regular engineering solutions for retrofits in the cities of Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood and Santa Monica. Soft-story retrofits can be complicated and complex, especially with the various councils' soft-story ordinances, yet Zenith create *great* results on a regular basis. I was originally working with Jason Leon who is the Business Development Manager at Zenith Engineers Inc. Jason is professional, courteous and very helpful. He knows what he is doing and his plans and solutions are very clear. These days I work directly with Juliette Chandler, the Engineering Estimator at Zenith Engineers Inc. Juliette is fantastic - she works very quickly with the turnaround of engineering solutions, and this makes my job a lot smoother with soft-story retrofits. Happy to recommend Zenith - five stars.

I want to express our gratitude for Zenith Engineers Inc. prompt, professional, and outstanding…read moreservice throughout our remodeling project. From the very beginning, we were impressed with Senthil, Ryan and other members of Zenith team's level of professionalism, prompt response, architectural knowledge and effective communication.This level of service was seamless through our entire engagement with Zenith Engineers Inc., from obtaining the building permit to successfully passing all necessary inspections by the SF Building Department. No one questions their architectural work because they are so good at what they do. We had some initial concerns after reading negative reviews, but as the project progressed, it became clear that those comments were based on personal grievances, rather than valid concerns. The team at Zenith Engineers Inc. has a high level of professional ethics and integrity. Zenith's management team had explained to us early on in the project, the strict adherence to code and compliance was paramount throughout the project. If Zenith compromises to satisfy unsatisfied clients, the building will end up being non-compliant and more importantly unsafe. We truly appreciate Zenith's commitment to quality and integrity, even if it means earning a few negative reviews along the way, which seem rather unfair to them as they are simply doing their job. I am extremely satisfied with the professional and excellent work the team at Zenith Engineers Inc. provided us and will hire them in a heartbeat for all our future structural and/or seismic engineering needs. Thank you Senthil, Ryan and the Zenith engineering team for your professionalism and support. It was our best decision to work with you and experience such high standard of professionalism, work ethic, and integrity.

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.

Scam Alert: Kastrop Group Architectural Firm Holds Clients…read moreMoney and Projects Hostage Lorianna Kastrop, Vice President of Kastrop Group, an architectural firm in Redwood City, CA takes client's money, refuses to start work on their projects until they give more and more money. Then refuses to give it back. October 28, 2026, Redwood City, CA - A local architectural firm is being accused of fraud and scamming customers by taking their money and then refusing to work on their projects until they give more and more money. The customer said when she hired Kastrop Group they seemed friendly at first but when the contract came it seemed overly "un-friendly". An employee named Brian Villavicencio came to her house and measured the house and said he was the one assigned to her project. However, he then revealed that he was not a licensed architect. Concerned, the customer called the owner Michael Kastrop and said she was not told he was not licensed and Brian said the roof line would not need to be altered. Michael said in fact the roof would need to be altered but tried to assure the client that Brian was just fine for the project he had no time to be on this project. The customer had given a retainer check for $1500, which they said would not go through. The customer told Kastrop that she had been the victim of fraud so she went to the bank and the bank assured her that the hold had been lifted and if Kastrop tried to cash the check again it would go through. However, Lorianne Kastrop refused to accept this. Instead, Michael asked for another check for $1485 and that was given to him to ensure all was fine. However, Lorianne Kastrop refused to give back the check for $1500 that the bank said was still cashable. They had a new check for $1485 and should have started the work, but they refused. Instead, the customer got more emails demanding more money before they would start the project. The customer called twelve times during the course of three weeks asking what is going on with the checks, they had been paid twice already. When asked to speak to the owner they blocked her, refused to transfer her to the owner, NEVER returned her calls, and would not tell her what was happening with the checks. Brian sent several emails to the customer saying Lorianne Kastrop specifically ordered him NOT to work on her project until more money was given. Exasperated and eager to get the project going the customer gave another $1560.38 and 417.96 online. By this time the customer had now paid $4963.34, almost three times the initial retainer of $1500. Yet even after this, the customer got another email from Lorianne Kastrop basically saying she was STILL holding the project hostage until more money was given. To make matters worse, the check for $1485 check HAD been cashed by Kastrop, the had the money they needed all along. The cashable $1500 check was still not returned. The customer said she wants to cancel the contract and get all her money back. They admitted they had not worked on the project and did one layout which had the incorrect measurements and was not usable for $405. Yet they then said they will only give her uncashed $1500 back, not the additional $3463.34 in cashed checks online monies they have received and did no work to jusify keeping. They held her money and her project hostage for a month and a half and were paid three times what was needed to start the project. The customer says Lorianne Kastrop was extremely hard-headed, would not listen and was incredibly uncooperative and unwilling to work things out and just kept demanding more money when she had the money she needed all along. The customer has reported them to the Better Business bureau for fraud and scamming customers and taking money, doing no work, and refusing to give it back. The customer wants to warn the public about the unethical business practices of the Kastrop Group LLC, Architects in Redwood City, CA.

We recently completed a major home remodel in Los Altos with Level Up Home Remodeling, and we are…read moreextremely satisfied with the results. Working closely with the owners, Ellie and Nir, and our project manager, Tal, was an excellent experience from start to finish. Communication & Teamwork: Communication was flawless and there were absolutely no surprises. They set up a WhatsApp group for weekly updates(with photos), and we held regular on-site meetings. They were very proactive, giving us plenty of heads-up on upcoming decisions and open items so execution never stalled. Early on, we hit a hiccup with an external designer; Ellie stepped in immediately to resolve the issue and keep the project moving seamlessly. Seamless Permitting & Back Office: A special shout-out has to go to their back-office staff, who are absolutely awesome. Navigating city permits can be daunting, but they handled everything perfectly. Our permit review took only a few months, was entirely on schedule, and went through with zero surprises. Design Savvy & Flexibility: Their taste and advice are excellent. During the design phase, they helped us ideate multiple layout options to cover as many of our requirements as possible(while staying practical ). Even during execution, their eye for aesthetics was invaluable. For instance, after installing two sliding doors in the kitchen, we realized we didn't love the look. They suggested a modified, larger single-door solution, and handled the change order smoothly with minimal impact on our timeline. Whenever we doubted their advice initially, we almost always wound up landing on their suggestion because they were always right. Budget Transparency: Level Up is a premium builder, but they are fairly sensible about budgets. They took the time to understand our price sensitivity and tailored their recommendations for materials and contractors accordingly, ensuring every dollar spent added genuine value to the house. Even with a decent amount of mid-project changes, the final cost lined up with our expectations. Vendor Coordination & Quality: The craftsmanship and installation quality are top-notch. They were also remarkably flexible with sourcing; we used a mix of their recommended suppliers and vendors we chose ourselves. Even when we acted as the go-between for our own suppliers, Level Up was completely professional, accommodating, and coordinated with us effortlessly. On the rare occasions they had issues, they took proactive responsibility and addressed it to our satisfaction. If you want a contractor with great taste, incredible flexibility, and total professional integrity, I highly recommend Ellie, Nir, Tal, and the Level Up team.

Eli and the LevelUp team completely transformed our 1970s home. They handled a massive structural…read moreoverhaul for us, which included building a brand-new master suite, modifying the existing master bedroom, and fully remodeling both our kitchen and an existing bathroom. Going into this, we were absolutely terrified--especially after hearing so many horror stories about year-long delays on major renovations. Because we had to live in an Airbnb with our two small children during construction, timing was everything. Choosing Eli and his team was the best decision we could have made. They completed this massive project in just four months, beating their initial six-month estimate. More importantly, they turned what could have been an incredibly stressful ordeal into a smooth, streamlined process. Eli walked us through each and every step with detailed weekly updates, keeping us entirely in the loop. We were actually out of town for two of those months, but because of his proactive communication, his team made lightning-fast progress while we were away. We are thrilled with the final result. The craftsmanship is excellent, and Eli personally ensured that everything--from the foundation up--was executed to the highest standard.