We were becoming totally frustrated in our search for an architect and a general contractor to…read moreguide an extensive remodel of our home. What we needed and seemingly could not find was an honest estimate of costs, an architect who could help us design our project and drive the permit process, and a contractor to build the project. Finally we happened upon STEL Builders. Cory, a walking advertisement for why you need to contract with STEL, jumped on our project and quickly gave us a realistic idea of costs. He introduced us to Frank, who is an awesome person and STEL's in-house architect. Frank gave us three options of drawings to choose from. Each option met our basic requirements and also outlined possible upgrades. Based on our budget, we committed to a plan. Within two months we had permits and construction began. We were assigned a dedicated project manager with whom we met weekly to assess progress in demo and ultimately new construction. Even before demo began, we met our design angel in Ivette. She guided us through selection of fixtures, cabinetry, tile, wall coverings, flooring; all the aspects of a remodel that keeps novices like us up at night. Her calm demeanor combined with her creative ideas made this an amazingly pleasurable experience! Ivette led us to our dream design outcome, and all within the budget we worked out with savant Cory in the beginning. STEL has great relationships with all the best subcontractors & receives priority on their projects, keeping the downtime in construction to a minimum. Midway through construction, our project manager left STEL. They hired a super pro replacement in Roberto. His many years of experience enabled us to stay on track for completion and enhanced the quality of the final product. Roberto is already a tremendous asset to STEL! And all along, even as he continued to take on new projects, Cory stayed in touch and treated us as if we were his only client. No question or inquiry we had was too small or insignificant for him to address nearly as quickly as it was expressed. We moved back into our home after six months and felt like every dream we had dreamt for our forever home had come true. The outcome has exceeded our very high expectations. In Cory's introduction, he touted STEL as a small, family oriented and local Design & Build Company. He was right about that. However, we think he understated how committed to these values Seth Larson and STEL Builders really are. They get it! For people like us, this is the largest and last big expenditure we'll ever make. They treated us with respect, congeniality, honesty and integrity. Our lives and our home from now on are forever enhanced from having met and worked with Cory, Frank, Ivette and Roberto. Thank you Seth Larson for the team you've built. Thank you STEL Builders, our new extended family!

After carefully rsearching the best design-build firms, we picked Stel Builders because they are a…read morelocal, right-sized, family-owned company who could personalize a design just for us. Jason and Frank patiently created the perfect building plans, and Brian expertly managed the project. We are very pleased with our newly remodeled home.

We had to re construct our kitchen after unfortunately pipe leak. We were extremely glad my…read morecoworker recommended Amden Homes for the work! We contacted several contractors before deciding to work with Amden. Matan and Dean were quick to respond to questions and were very understanding to our needs. Their team were quick to get started and they did great job and were always open to our needs and scheduling. I would definitely recommend them for home improvement/remodeling/construction project! ​

We recently completed a master bathroom remodel with Amden Homes and are very happy with the…read moreresults. The quality of workmanship is truly 5-star -- the finished bathroom is beautiful, and the attention to detail really shows. Their team was also very good with communication throughout the entire process, which we really appreciated. There were a couple of material clarifications along the way. During bidding, we discussed solid wood cabinets and copper piping. When selections were finalized, cabinet options were more limited than we initially expected, and the contract allowed for "PEX or copper." Once we brought up our preference for copper, they were responsive and made the change. Overall, we're very pleased with the outcome and the professionalism of the team. Just be sure to clearly confirm material specifications in the contract from the start.

Todd Shimp works alongside his crew to make sure every detail is done correctly. We had a huge job…read moreto do-- 1700 sf added to our house. He was able to fix all the mistakes on the architectural plans, and stayed within our budget at the same time. Best of all, he has a great eye for design. So not only can he and his crew build it well, they help make tough design decisions and come up with clever solutions to tricky problems. I couldn't be happier with the results.

Todd Shimp & Shimp Creations built my house seven years ago, before I had a yelp account. He did a…read moregreat job! He is fair, honest, dependable, flexible, collaborative, efficient, knowledgeable, and creative. He also came back a couple years ago to do a smaller project on the property, just a few days work. It went just as well, so small job to big, he's the guy to hire.

We hired Carlos to build a loft for our home and they did an…read moreabsolutely fantastic job! The project consisted of framing the loft, drywalling, texturing, painting, flooring, railing, venting, and electrical installation. Carlos consulted with us throughout the project to confirm our preferences for the finer details, like the locations of the outlets, canned lights, vents, and hanging lights. The price was very reasonable and matched the original budget that was agreed on before the project began. The entire thing was complete in under two weeks which was incredible. I will definitely be using him again on future projects and would recommend him to anyone wanting to improve our home.

If I could give less than 1 star, I would…read more Carlos was an absolute nightmare to work with! Never again will we use this company for any of our future projects. Sad that Carlos and his company didn't have solid communication, they lacked professionalism and were a complete waste of my time. Please be weary of this company!

highly recommended company to work with . I've worked with…read morejason on many projects . from kitchen remodels to bathrooms renovations . he is an expert on all fields, frame, drywall,tile,plumbing, electrical etc hes always responsive and communicative . takes care of all the issues that occur in a major construction project . I will definitely work with him in the future . great job jason

Jason is a true gem. He is incredibly talented in his craft and a high integrity individual. Jason…read morekept things running smoothly throughout our remodel even with multiple unexpected hiccups no one could have predicted. We wouldn't have trusted anyone else with our project, and we are looking forward to partnering with him in the future too. Jason is the man!

I was in a bind helping my parents get permits for their wedding venue. All the other architects…read moreblew them off or were charging crazy amounts of money. Dave went above and beyond flighting for our project to be permitted according to code, they tried to require us to have sprinkler systems installed that wasn't required which would have cost us over $50,000. His knowledge of the building code is unbelievable and so helpful. Overall we saved a ton of money going with an experienced professional, probably close to 100k. Stop looking and do it!

We have worked with Kuop Designs on a few projects and they have gone very smoothly with attention…read moreto detail and timely coordination responses. David understands the design process as well as the construction process which makes for great projects!

Fred and his team at U.S. Accurate Construction did a solid job on our remodel. We were looking to…read moredo major renovations to our home with modern touches and upgrades, including some unique and difficult tile work, updating fixtures, custom cabinets, and new flooring throughout flooring. Fred helped us design and choose what renovations were going to not only add value to our home but actually make our home more appealing and enjoyable for us. He spent alot of time explaining what he was doing, why he was doing it and just always went above and beyond. Communication was clear throughout the process, and they kept the work areas tidy and clean, very professional. We're really happy with the final result and cannot express how grateful we are we found them. Their work was truly outstanding--exceeding every expectation. We're completely beyond satisfied with the final outcome; every detail is absolutely stunning.

We found Fred Franke through our architects, after we had a poor experience with the contractor we…read morehad originally planned to work with. Our architects, who are very discerning, both said that if they ever need a contractor for their own homes, this is who they would choose. We are so grateful for this recommendation. We did a massive remodel, down to studs, on our 1939 historic home. I cannot imagine having gone through this with our original contractor, or really anyone else. Fred gave us an accurate and honest estimate of costs and timeline, he made sure to keep us updated throughout the process, and welcomed all of our questions. Whenever we thought there might be a problem or something was overlooked, he was always way ahead of us, aware of it and with answers. He is extremely knowledgeable, able to provide solutions to the inevitable problems that arise when working on an old home. His team of guys are very skilled and helpful, and he subcontracts with the best, so the quality of the finished work is excellent. I do not recommend using a contractor who does all the work themselves. You want someone who works with other true experts in their respective fields. Fred has been doing this a long time in San Diego and has relationships with the best. He is also skilled at working with the city and getting permits and things through. And he really went above and beyond for us to coordinate with the other folks we hired to complete the project (pool company, landscape company, and even Tesla for installing home batteries and car chargers). Beyond all the work, he became a friend through the process. He is honest, funny, and kind. He would always take time to chat with our neighbors and our families. We are looking forward to having him and his family over for dinner in our new home. We have now been in the house for a year and he just checked in with us a couple weeks ago to make sure there were no issues that had arisen. This review is honestly hard to write because it is hard to put into words how grateful we were to have worked with him. We have recommended him to friends and colleagues for their work and do so without reservation. If you are looking for a contractor, I hope for your sake that you get to work with Fred.

To say we had a great experience with Fred and his crew is an understatement. Franke Contracting is…read moreAMAZING!!! Fred is at the top of his field bringing a level of professionalism that we simply did not find in any other contractor. Fred oversaw every aspect of our extensive home rennovation, provided a weekly schedule, walk through with client, and frequently provided updated financials. We knew exactly what was happening each and every day. Fred and his deep bench of experts brought a level of service and knowledge we could have only dreamed of. Each craftsmen meticulously ensured quality and consistency for their respective trades. Fred treated our home as if it was his own, his suggestions and problem solving only lead to a project that exceeded our expectations. Undertaking a complete home renovation is a daunting and expensive task - Fred made it the BEST experience, and we recommend him a thousand times over. He turned our 1920's bungalow, into our California dream home. Fred became a trusted friend, and our neighborhood misses him!! There aren't enough stars to truly rate the Franke team!