Rafu Construction and Kyle are the best! We did a complete remodel of my grandma's home. So we basically gutted the house, re-did the plumbing, updated the bathrooms, flooring, and updated the kitchen appliances. I wish I took some before and after photos because Rafu and Kyle really worked their magic. My grandma's house was sectioned into different rooms so Rafu and Kyle had to remove the walls to make the open floor plan that I have now in my living room/kitchen/dining room. Kyle made it so easy, he has vendors that he works with. For example, for cabinets we met him at the vendor's storefront so we could decide on our cabinets for the kitchen and the bathrooms. For the flooring, he brought samples to the house so we could look at them in the house. It was things like this that made working with Kyle so great and easy. read more

See all

We had two bathrooms that needed remodeling. From the day we contacted Rafu Construction, they have been a pleasant experience. Kyle and his team have taken our ugly, outdated bathrooms and turned them into the standout features of our home. We are not wealthy, so I asked them to redo only parts of our bathrooms (as opposed to a complete remodel). Kyle reformulated our quote to match our budget. They made recommendations along the way for slight changes to our plans because our home had some issues created by the previous owners. We had guests coming over during the construction, so they made accommodations to make sure their workstations were cleaned up. Each bathroom took about a month to complete. We plan to do more construction in the future (after we save up), and we will not hesitate to hire Rafu Construction! A+ read more

Rafu Construction - Rafu remodeled our bathroom, but kept our tub and toilet to help us save money. This took them about a month to complete. - General Contractors Near Me - Monterey Park, California

See all

2 years after our project was done, we had a fuse start to act up which controlled the circuit which our new family room lighting was connected to. Contacted Kyle and he sent the electrician to us promptly who swapped out the fuse and things have been working ok since then. I asked Kyle to send me an invoice for the work and he said not to worry. He would take care of it as a former customer. He really didn't need to do that but we appreciated his continued support for things related to our project. Thank you Kyle! read more

Kyle is the man. We're incredibly fortunate to have found Kyle through Yelp. We reached out to several contractors from Yelp and even friends, but we had the best "gut" feeling with Kyle --- we were right for the reasons below. Rafu construction is a family-owned company since the early 1900s currently running on its 4th generation via Kyle Imoto. He's a licensed contractor and architect as well, which really shows in his attention to detail. Kyle is a stellar communicator --- replies quickly via texts, calls, and e-mails. He grew up here in the SGV and talked to us like we were his own friendly neighbors, but also treated us professionally like clients as well. His team is hard-working, courteous, respectful, approachable and many have been with the company more than 15 to 20 years. We even had the pleasure of 3rd generation Mr. Imoto (Kyle's dad) to help supervise the project. The gist of our project consisted of removing walls/doorframes, flooring, and painting in order to remodel/expand the master and install a walk in-closet. We had some unexpected findings (prior home owner Mickey-mousing?), which resulted in more work for his team; however the add-on charges were reasonable. Rafu was not the cheapest, but also not the most expensive. Pricing was honest, fair and competitive. Having many local connections, Kyle was able to help us save $ on flooring and cabinets. We saw a walk-in closet at The Container Store and Kyle was able to help us design our own closet for about 1/3rd of the price!! All in all, Rafu has great value, service, and communication. We all have heard of those contractor horror stories --- don't let it happen to you! Make sure you *trust* whoever you let work on your home. I trust Kyle, Rafu, his team and will highly recommend Rafu for any of my future home projects as well as to all my friends and family. read more

We recently completed a bathroom remodel job with Rafu Construction. Kyle and his foreman Aurellio did a wonderful job! The workmanship was exceptional and the job was completed on time. read more

Rafu Construction recently completed a remodel of our bathroom in South Pasadena - they split one bathroom into two separate bathrooms (a 3/4 en suite bath and a full size bath). Kyle and his foreman Raul did an incredible job bringing this project to life. Not only did they execute our idea, they also improved on the original floor plans with creativity and resourcefulness. They were meticulous in their execution and the quality of their work throughout the entire process. Our house is over a century old and there were a few issues that they had to mitigate along the way as a result. They did this without blinking, and they never compromised the quality of their work. Raul worked around the clock and showed up day after day with a good attitude. They finished the project ahead of schedule. We feel they added considerable value to our home - the end product is beautiful and reflects their expertise. We've worked on a number of remodeling projects with different contractors over the years, and our experience with this company was outstanding. We highly recommend them, and hope to work with them again on future projects. read more

Rafu Construction - a bathroom with a toilet, sink, and bathtub - General Contractors Near Me - Monterey Park, California

See all

I was referred to Kyle about 7 years ago from a friend and I've contracted Rafu for every remodel or construction project since. I'd say Kyle's best strength is his communication style. We get along great and he has treated me like an old family friend even back when we were complete strangers at first. He's flexible while also firm about what can or cannot be done, and manages realistic expectations regarding pricing or scheduling. He's come up with great, creative solutions on making the house feel more open, spacious, and increasing its value. I've gotten to know some of his crew members as well. They are friendly, hard working, and put a lot of care into their work. Their attention to detail is always impressive each time and is another reason I always call Kyle back for a new project. Everybody I've come across is respectful, professional, and considerate. Rafu has worked on bathroom redesigns, kitchen expansions, flooring, ceiling - just about everything, and I've always been happy with the results. I will continue to refer them to any friends or family who ask, and will continue working with them on any future needs. read more

See all

Full disclosure, Kyle and I have been friends since childhood but I will try to keep my review as impartial as possible. I've helped my parents manage rental units since I was about 10 years old, so I've worked directly with numerous subcontractors and even done a fair bit of repairs myself (plumbing, electrical, light construction, etc.) I think this gives me a little insight into the process and, fairly or unfairly, helped set expectations for quality, time, and cost (your classic "pick two" scenario). With Kyle, I've never had to pick two and I think that's because he's in it for the long haul. I don't think I've ever heard Kyle say no to me, even when I'm talking like a mad man with no grasp on reality. Instead, he takes the time to understand my vision and finds a way to work within my budget. He understands that he's not just working on four walls and a roof, but something deeply personal. Why the five stars? What else do you give a business that you go back to time and again and recommend to people you care about? read more

My parents worked with Kyle and his team to build an addition to their house recently. The quality of the work, the level of professionalism, and their dependability made the process a very positive one. Kyle is very easy to work with and his crew was neat, conscientious, and so very kind. The addition looks amazing - my parents love it and they're getting lots of compliments and inquiries about it! I am now getting some work done in my own home through Rafu and know that I am in very good hands. 10/10 would highly recommend going through Rafu! read more

Wow! I didn't realize contractors like Kyle existed! I'm the first to point out that I'm probably not the ideal customer... My expectations are really high, I can be pretty indecisive, I have OCD, and I don't do well with change. That being said, I absolutely loved working with Kyle and his crew! They finished the job in less time than quoted. And since the job turned out to be simpler than expected, they charged less than the initial estimate!!! Like I said, WOW! I needed the flooring replaced in a bedroom. Kyle came to check out the damage, sent me an estimate, and was able to start within a week. He presented options and accepted my decisions without any judgement. He helped guide me in my purchase and even picked up the materials for me since they wouldn't fit in my car. I love that Kyle kept in touch with me throughout the process, keeping me posted on his team's progress. His workers were also very patient with me. I decided halfway through the project that I might like the planks in a different direction. His guys stopped what they were doing and lay some planks out so I could see what it would look like. They explained their reasoning and reassured me that they would be happy to change it if that's what I wanted. (Turns out they were right...it looked better their way.) When I checked on the closet doors, I felt one set was a little tight. Even though it was probably only about a centimeter, they didn't seem to mind having to adjust my old doors. I appreciate them wearing their masks while working, even when I wasn't around since I have young children. I'm so glad I was able to hire Rafu Construction for my small job. I plan on using them for a kitchen remodel in the near future! read more

We just really appreciate their fantastic job on our house! We love our new remodeled house. Kyle, his father and crew are very nice, polite and detail oriented people. We could go vacation under construction time since we trust them! They did everything-planning, drawing, designing, permission, actual construction... all in one service was very convenient and easy for us. We definitely hire them again when we are ready for another remodels in the future!!! read more

Rafu Construction - General Contractors Near Me - Monterey Park, California

See all

I was very pleased with the work Rafu did on my loft in Long Beach. On budget and on time! That says a lot. They installed some dry wall partitions and incorporated some sliding glass doors, then installed lighting and fans throughout our home. Rafu really understood our aesthetic and worked well with it. They were very professional and friendly. They worked really well with my HOA, which really smoothed out the process, and I didn't get any complaints from any of my neighbors. In fact, my neighbors were actually very inquisitive about the work Rafu was doing, and I was happy to recommend them! read more

Rafu Construction - Installed partitions, glass doors, a walk-in closet, lighting and fans. - General Contractors Near Me - Monterey Park, California

Rafu Construction worked on our plumbing. We had the whole house repiped as well as the mainline. They also did tile work in one of our bathrooms and changed out the tub and toilet. When looking for tile, Kyle, the contractor, met me at the store and even allowed me to put my suction cup on the tiles to make sure they would work with our toddler's bathtub toys! Although I was like a fish out of water, he treated me like an equal and I felt that my questions and opinions were listened to. He also went to Home Depot to take pictures of possible tubs and toilets and hardware for the bathroom so that we wouldn't have to take time off of work to do so. I REALLY appreciated him giving up his time so that we didn't have to. While working on the plumbing we decided to change to a Takagi tankless water heater. Kyle was kind enough to provide us with pamphlets and some pros and cons of going tankless before the final install. He also had the great idea of turning the space that housed the water heater into a storage closet. Who doesn't need more storage! The work took a few weeks, but Kyle and his dad kept us updated on the progress. The team of guys, headed by Aurelio, did excellent work. They made sure we could continue to live in our house for the entire duration of the work. We only went one night without hot water! The patch work was amazing and it doesn't even look like holes were made in our walls. Once the scope of work was complete, Kyle did a walk through with us and has kept in touch to make sure all is well. We will definitely be calling them when we are ready to tackle the next project on our never ending list of home improvements. read more

See all

Rafu Construction did a wonderful job on the kitchen remodel/addition project for our house in the San Fernando Valley. We wanted to replace our old kitchen, enlarge the laundry room, add an enclosed pantry and powder room, and open the kitchen up to the rest of the house. We chose Rafu because it is a family owned business with a long history. Rafu uses an experienced crew that has been with them a long time and were able to provide both architecture and contractor services for our project. We found Kyle from Rafu to be very personable and someone that is easy to work with which made the project a positive experience. After listening to the features we wanted in our remodel project, we selected one of the three architectural drawings that Kyle provided us with. The plans increased the footage of the house by moving out a wall, added a large kitchen island and a study. During the planning process Kyle encouraged us to look at various cabinets, styles and features and did not impose his style on the project, which we appreciated. In addition, Kyle took care of all drawings and permits and personally met with the city inspectors during inspections. During the construction phase of the project, Kyle's crew came on time on the dates promised and cleaned up after each work day. We made a number of changes during construction and Kyle was very patient and worked with us to make sure they were done to our satisfaction. As we wanted to stay in the house during construction, we appreciated the efforts Kyle and his crew took to ensure that all the utilities working and we were comfortable. During the latter part of the project, Kyle worked closely with his subcontractors (granite, tile and cabinet contractors), acting as our advocate to ensure that we were happy with the work. The result was a remodel/addition project that exceeded our expectations. The new kitchen is functional having a number of features we enjoy and has really opened up our kitchen to the rest of the house. After completion of the project we have gotten a number of compliments and are looking forward to working with Kyle and Rafu Construction on some additional work to the house early next year. read more

See all

When it came time to remodeling a bathroom, we went with Rafu Construction for three reasons, 1) we had a less then favorable experience with another contractor that did work on a different part of our home, 2) we got a word-of-mouth referral from a recent, and very satisfied Rafu customer, and 3) their price and schedule quote was reasonable. We are so happy with the end results! We had one bathroom that we embarrassingly referred to as "the boy's bathroom" (for you parents out there, it is amazing how 3 boys could literally trash a bathroom) and we were quiet ashamed anytime a guest had to use it (see before photo). We contacted Rafu Construction, and they submitted three different bathroom remodel designs with varying themes and cost. We chose a design, and work commenced. Rafu's Team was very professional, stayed focus on the job at hand, and even cleaned up at the end of each work week, so that we could take care of our household chores on the weekend. Kyle from Rafu Construction kept us informed during the entire remodel process, and met with us at various Supplier Outlets to help us select materials and products that would complement each other. Kyle also kept us informed of the need to make material selections by a specific date, to keep the remodel work on schedule. FYI, the whole remodel effort took 31 working days (41 calendar days start-to-finish) which during the remodeling period felt like a long time, but in retrospect, went quickly. Now our "boys bathroom" is a center of pride (see after photos)... we are so happy that we went with Rafu Construction, and we will use them again in the future. read more

See all

We used Rafu Construction for architectural drawings for our home remodel project. He was able to complete the drawings and submit them to the City to get approval in a timely manner. Kyle was always very responsive to our requests, questions, and emails/phone calls. He also provided us a vendor list of vendors he's worked with for us to try to help us to get a better price on items such as cabinets, tile, quartz, etc. read more

i worked with kyle and his team last fall to do some renovations in our arts district condo. i think the photos speak for themselves - i appreciated the attention to detail in workmanship and the constant communication throughout the process. Scope of Work: - paint interiors - install wood flooring + replace and paint moldings - install counter top, sink and fixtures in kitchen - mount tv - install light fixtures i have heard so many of so many contractor nightmares and was apprehensive embarking on a first renovation project, but rafu was a pleasure to with with. i received a proposal upfront for the work and experienced little to no deviation. I'm super happy with the outcome! kyle is super patient and does his best to meet his clients' requests/needs. Deviation mentioned above was attributed to availability of materials, scheduling...normal stuff that comes up when working on a project. read more

See all

We finished our 9-month long remodeling project this July which entails relocating kitchen, adding square footage, leveling floors, new floor/tile installation, new plumbing, relocating shower in master bathroom, modifying fire place into part of kitchen, moving furnace to attic, and other misc. things. Kyle drew up plans, secured permits, and managed all work done, all to great satisfaction. I'm breaking down my review below: Design services: Going into this we already had in mind what we wanted to do, Kyle provided additional design ideas and advices and worked with us to make our vision come true. Kyle is open to different design ideas and he has a 'can do' attitude and will not try to convince you to turn your bathroom into the same style as five previous bathrooms he has done. Actual construction: Kyle has a stable crew that has worked with his father and him for years. His crew is experienced, efficient, and they have high standards in craftsmanship. They made sure all the different sizes tiles in my bathroom are all aligned. They moved my window 2 inches free of charge just so it lines up with the tiles! Kyle and his crew kept the job site neat and clean. They made timely progress throughout the whole project. If you wonder why it took 9 months it is because we chose to buy all our fixtures and doors. We had to wait for our doors for 4 whole months from an out of state supplier due to a fire at the supplier's stain shop. Kyle comes to job site every morning and at least once in afternoon to touch base with his crew. Communication: We received regular updates from Kyle and we could always easily reach him via text / email / phone. When we had questions or concerns Kyle took the time to explain and resolved. He never made us feel our worries are not important to him. Price: If you want high quality work and a contractor who respect you and give you good customer service, Rafu's pricing is competitive and reasonable among other established companies. Yes you will find other contractors who charge less, but chances are you will end up fighting with him constantly over quality issues or integrity issues. With Rafu you can be rest assured that there is no shadiness and if you can be as picky as you like, they work hard to meet your expectation and they won't yell at you saying you are crazy over tiny details. I will upload photos to this review soon. read more

See all

Our realtor referred us to Kyle and we are so glad she did! Not only does he have an architectural license, he is also a general contractor so he can make those plans into reality! We wanted to enclose an overhang area and redo the bathrooms. The enclosure required architectural drawings to submit to the city for approval. Kyle was our guy. He did the drawings, brought it to the city, edited it, went back to the city, edited again, and finally we got approval! While he kept us updated, but he took care of everything so we didn't have to stress at all. The rest of his crew was also amazing to work with. They were clean, detailed, and did a great job with the tile work, plumbing, electricity, wainscoting, and outdoor pergola installation. Kyle was always so easy to get a hold of if we had any questions or issues. He took care of things right away. Even after the project is over, he will check in to make sure everything is ok. He stands by his craft. It's hard to find a good reliable, honest and hardworking contractor- Rafu is the way to go. read more

Rafu Construction did a great job on our home. My wife is very happy with the jobs they did. We will definitely have them here again as we redo the place. read more

Rafu Construction - The floor in our sunroom is so much nicer than the do-it-yourself epoxy job that I did myself. - General Contractors Near Me - Monterey Park, California

See all

We used Rafu construction to redo our bathroom. Kyle is an architect that provided 2 designs. The new designed shower is larger and the bathroom is much brighter. During the construction the workers would lay down a tarp over the carpet and remove it before they left. Construction dust and dirt was kept to a minimum. We love the new larger shower. After being very pleased with the bathroom we decided to use Rafu construction to redo our roof. They replaced the roof quickly and kept the mess to a minimum. We are very pleased with the work done. The last contractor we used before Rafu took longer, left a mess, and the workmanship was not as good. We would use Rafu construction again. read more

Rafu Construction - Floating vanity with backsplash - General Contractors Near Me - Monterey Park, California

See all

Excellent experience, Kyle and his crew were professional and considerate. Coins not ask for more. Work was done on schedule and with great craftsmanship. We did an addition and remodel, and Kyle handled everything. Wouldn't think of ever hiring anyone else for our next project. Every aspect from design , permits, and construction was done by Rafu, I trust their work and most importantly I trust them with my family . read more

Rafu Construction installed a clay tile roof on my two story home. I interviewed multiple contractors and hired Rafu Construction for my roofing project. While other contractors were comparable in their bids, I chose Rafu Construction because of their expertise, enormous pride in their craft, and their professionalism. I also learned that the company has been around for three generations and that Kyle is a licensed architect and general contractor. Kyle came to assess the house and provided his expertise. He was extremely knowledgeable and a pleasure to work with. Both me and my wife had numerous questions and he always took the time to speak with us. We scheduled a date for the work to commence and Kyle noted that it should take about four days to complete. Kyle secured the necessary permit required by the city and was in constant communication, which I really appreciate. His team completed the job as promised and were utmost professionals. They kept the area clean and were attentive to details. Kyle came to the house daily and ensured that the work was completed to the highest standards. Me and my wife really appreciate the quality work that Rafu Construction did for our home. They replaced a wood shingle roof with a beautiful clay tile roof, which will last many decades. The house looks really great. Kyle and his company stands by their work. He informed me that if there are ever any leaks or issues with the roof, that he will come and fix it. I recommend Kyle and his team wholeheartedly. We will definitely use Kyle for our next project. read more

Excellent work On time Honesty They adhere to the highest of standards excellence and ethics I cannot give enough superlatives read more

Kyle and his team are great guys. They did an amazing job on my bathroom, hallway and stairs. Great work and great prices.

Rafu construction worked on our kitchen and bath rooms. We had the whole house repiped as well as the mainline. When looking for tile for bath room and floor, Kyle went to Home Depot with us. We really appreciated him giving up his time so that we didn't have to. Kyle came to assess the house and provided his expertise. He was extremely knowledgeable and a pleasure to work with. We had numerous questions and he always took the time to speak with us. His team completed the job as promised and were very professional. They kept the area clean and were attentive to details. Kyle came to the house to follow up and ensured that the work was completed to the highest standards. We really appreciate the quality work tat Rafu Construction did for our home. The house looks great. Kyle and his company stand by their work. He informed us that if their are ever any issues with the plumming or electric systems, that he will come and fix it. We recommend Kyle and his team wholeheartedly. We will definitely use Kyle for our next project. read more

We have had several projects completed in our home by Rafu Construction over the past few years. Rafu remodeled our kitchen, remodeled 3 restrooms, and repaired our entryway and hallway ceilings. They do excellent work outside the home too; they repaired our balcony, replaced our deck, and designed a new patio cover. This company is fairly priced, honest, and does quality work. Kyle had many suggestions for color, design, and materials, and worked within our budget. The workers were polite, paid attention to details, and considerately cleaned up daily. We were very pleased with each improvement and will be calling Kyle the next time we have a home improvement need. read more

Kyle and his team have always been beyond professional on the small jobs I have used them for. I first used his company to help with installation of a flat screen tv, and even though it was such a small, minor job... he and his team were responsive, professional and so helpful. I was so impressed I recommended him to my parents who needed a fence installed in their backyard. They were equally as happy with Kyle & his team and did a beautiful job - even working within their budget and timeframe. I again recommended Kyle to assist my boss in the removal of some hanging light fixtures in his home. Once more, even though the job was small in nature, Kyle was professional and his team did a great job. Im so grateful that Kyle treated all these small projects with attention that made me feel it he really cared about the quality of his work and the job his was doing. It would be so easy for a long time construction company to shrug off these types of small jobs - but I am so thankful each job was done with absolute professionalism and care. read more