Very glad we selected Red Boot Construction for our house remodel. At the suggestion of our architect, we got three estimates for the work and interviewed each of the General Contractors. The honest truth is that Red Boot was not the cheapest. The were in the middle although the bids were really all over the place, as was the quality of the bid response. The interview and bid response was the single reason we chose Red Boot. Gary walked through our home with us for close to two hours at the first meeting. During the initial walkthrough, he had so many questions that demonstrated not only that they knew what they were talking about but allowed me to get back to our architect and make sure we didn't go down any path that was going to cause headaches later in the project. Once all our ducks were in a row, I stayed in communication with Gary who helped make sure that all of the materials we were purchasing (tile, appliances, cabinets, etc) would arrive on time to meet the plan. They also helped us select a few other vendors (see other reviews). Rich was the guy onsite each day making sure the project went smoothly. I've heard so many horror stories about remodels and we simply didn't encounter any of the big issues. Maybe we were lucky but I like to think that we just made a good choice with our contractor. read more

Hiring a contractor is probably one of the most dreadful things known to man (and woman). Nightmare stories from friends and coworkers are enough to make you want to continue living in a mud hut. Luckily there are contractors like Red Boot to change that perception. Rich worked with us on our kitchen remodel and gave us plenty of ideas to make the final results better than we had hoped. It's obvious through his suggestions that he's not an amateur and has dealt with the entire process numerous times, making sure thought is put into every functional and aesthetic detail from lighting and switch placement to tile, trims, and moldings. The work was as painless as a kitchen remodel can be while living through it, and Rich's professionalism and desire for us to understand the process and timeline helped keep us at ease that the work was progressing as advertised. And when snags came up (no major construction project ever goes 100% smoothly), they were handled with aplomb. Red Boot might not provide the cheapest quote out there, but you get what you pay for. Do it right the first time and just hire Red Boot. read more

I'm so glad someone finally listed RBC to be reviewed. I was meaning to do this myself and share my awesome experience I had with them. It took a long time for my husband and I to get the courage to start looking for a contractor, well... because of the horror stories that are out there about working with contractors. But we couldn't take it anymore, our bathrooms were disgusting!!!! Unbearable, ugly, embarrassing, depressing...well you get the point. We chose RBC because Rich (the head dude) broke down all the costs and what we can expect. They were prompt everytime they were on the job and worked very efficiently. Rich was detail oriented, yet he still saw the overall picture of what the goal was. He kept me updated on everything. If there was a chance the cost would go up, he would let me know immediately. This man knows the meaning of communication. Overall, he kept really close to his original estimation (came within $100, literally) and met his deadline. Oh, an added bonus is that they work so neatly.... I didn't even think that was possible for contractors. This goes to show you that he respected our home. We will be hiring RBC again to do our windows and our backyard. read more

Admittedly, I got no chance to check out their work. Rich showed up for a bid, told me he would get back to me, quoted a price and when I asked for terms and a contract, he said he would and I never heard from him again. I wrote an initial flame about this company because they were one in a series of contractors that did not follow-up on initial meetings. I can understand that there are work priorities and more attractive and less attractive or lucrative jobs. Mine may have not been the best offer for work that week, who knows? What I object to is being dropped with no word or explanation. Red Boot may have just misplaced me. I never got to see their work and my initial impression was that they were experienced and professional. I was looking forward to working with them. read more

I would like to add to the glowing reviews for Red Boot Construction. Our first time kitchen remodel was a complete success thanks to Gary, Rich and his team. These guys are upfront, hardworking, and very skilled at what they do. Gary is available and very helpful during the initial planning / designing stages of the job. New to the process, we found this part the most painful. Gary was always there to help with suggestions and helpful advice. Rich is onsite most of the time during the construction and really knows his stuff. He's easy to talk to, friendly, and hard working. I would highly recommend Red Boot Construction. read more

Richard James from Redboot construction is a great guy, but our project, a high-end hillside custom home, was maybe too big and too complex to handle. After over two years of construction and with only the rough framing completed (and tons of problems to be fixed) I had to hire somebody else to savage and complete the project. Given Redboot partnered up with another firm on my project, I am not sure where the faults and merits of each firm started and ended, but neither appeared to be ready for a project of this magnitude. read more

I'm surprised at all of the positive reviews. Red Boot did a bathroom remodel for my home that was way over budget and way over time. It took approximately 6 months (!) of construction time. Maybe something small like a bathroom remodel just wasn't a priority for them- be warned if you're looking for this type of job! Additionally, their work was simply sub par. They used regular drywall in the shower under the tiles (even when the contract specifically called for higher quality material). Instead of fixing this they insisted that they would waterproof, however the waterproofing material covered very little of the shower pan. Immediately after they were finished tiles began to crack apart. They came back to "fix" the issue by slathering a ton of grout on them and of course they simply cracked more... there must be 2 inches of grout in some areas! Additionally, they didn't seal the tile work so it became stained very easily. I took this on myself. They offer a full "guarantee" but I wouldn't let them back in my house! read more

I've never had a contractor as detail oriented as Rich. He was very prompt with everything from communication (via phone & email) to showing up for the job. The job I had was very small (minor electrical work), but Rich gave me a sense of confidence and ease. He and his employees were thoughtful regarding cleanliness, and my requests for electrical help were carried through without a problem. When it's time to remodel my kitchen, I'm calling Rich! read more

Gary contacted me after I wrote the last review and asked when he could come back to fix the wall. I really appreciated that. We mainly haven't taken him up on that because we are so busy and frankly, I just don't want another thing on my to-do list. But I gave him another star for offering. Also, our roof is still NOT leaking, even after the winter passed. A 4 or 5 star review would still have involved patching the hole while they were still working on our project, and cleaning up the debris immediately rather than forcing us to do it a month later, because we couldn't get ahold of him. read more

When we purchased our new home, we knew that that we were going to have to update the kitchen and bathroom which hadn't been touched in probably 30 years. Red Boot was referred to us through a friend and we met with Rich a few days after our initial call. I'll be honest when I say that, after the first discussion, we were a little taken back because the expense and timelines were larger than we expected. Rich did state that Red Boot was, for many reasons, not the cheapest provider and suggested we get at least 2 other bids for the project. We did this, and as he had stated, the Red Boot quote was not the cheapest, but it was dramatically more detailed. In addition, Rich clearly ran through all of his concerns that could potentially cause added work. We didn't run into any of these things, but it definitely made us feel better to know this before they started their work. Once the work was under way, we really felt we had made the right choice. Even though we took on the design, ordering and purchase of many materials ourselves (in order to save money), Rich made sure that we didn't forget anything that would cost us on the back end. Lastly, my wife wanted me to state how happy she was that the process was relatively clean. The workers swept the areas clean every day and treated the house and us with respect. We are more than satisfied with the work and highly recommend Red Boot Construction. read more

We are so impressed with Red Boot. Rich and his team helped us not only add a master bath to our house but was also willing to step in on an hour's notice nearly a year later when we needed our front door framing repaired due to a break-in. We are so thankful that they helped us out when we were really stuck. Thanks Rich! read more

We used Red Boot and Rich James to complete a master bathroom installation during summer 2015. We actually took square footage away from the master bedroom and installed a bathroom in the space. Red Boot handled it all, from installation of plumbing and electrical to putting up walls and drywall and painting. Overall, we had an incredibly positive experience dealing with Rich. He can come off as a little loud and excitable, but he is the definition of a stand-up guy. Most importantly for a contractor, however, is that Rich is fair, reasonably priced, and incredibly honest. He was straight forward, answered all of our questions, and never tried to pull the wool over our eyes as to the time or expense some of our change orders would add to the project. He's also someone who always delivered when he promised he would get something done and has gone out of his way to make sure we were happy with the completed project. There are two reasons I've given four stars rather than five. First, we had a couple of unnecessary communication snafus over the course of the project. Once we identified the problem, Rich was quick to address it, but I wish in retrospect that he would have asked us our preferences before implementing the solution he thought best addressed the issue. Second, as is the case in most construction projects, it took a bit longer than anticipated and completion dragged on a few weeks longer than it needed to. Overall, an incredibly positive experience with Red Boot, especially for two people undertaking our first renovation project and living in the house while it was going on. I'd recommend Rich and Red Boot to anyone who asks. read more

A contractor that you can trust is priceless. Richard is fair, reasonably priced and HONEST. He is the only contractor that I have worked with who tries to find reasonable, workable solutions to match my budget and needs. Whether the the job is a small repair or larger renovation, I have found Red Boot to to be trustworthy, reliable and consistent in doing quality work. Richard is great at coming up with creative solutions to problems and stands behind his work after the job is done. Simply put, after working with a variety of small contractors for more than a decade, I would not trust an important project to anyone other than Red Boot! read more

The Guys at red boot construction are great. rich and his team were on time, on budget and on point! My project was pretty simple (garage renovation), but they did a great job. read more

First experience working with a contractor and I am glad I picked Red Boot. I had to repair 25 ft of foundation, repairs to my front porch, and concrete work all around my house. Rich continuously kept me up to date with the progress of the work and was always available if I had any questions. My front porch had much more damage than anticipated so Rich gave me some great creative and economical alternative ideas to fix the archway. My front porch turned out way better than I anticipated and dont regret the extra work at all. Overall great work, great contractor! read more

Used Red Boot for two major projects. Kitchen remodel, including removing two interior walls, and patio installation. The outcomes of both were fantastic. As mentioned in other reviews Rich is a priceless contractor. With so many horror stories out there, honesty and trustworthiness are important. Time-lines were well maintained. Not to mention, bids were below other contractors and maintained throughout. read more

Rich with Red Boot Construction is by far one of the best in the business! We produce a popular national makeover show and he and his crew have worked with us on a few houses in Oakland, CA. Rich is hard working, detail oriented, organized, efficient and an amazing team player and a great person to be part of our team. Rain or shine, Rich and his team were the first ones on site and the last ones to leave while working on our exterior house makeovers. I've had the opportunity to work with hundreds of different contractors and from my experience, Rich is one of the few that really stands out. He is completely dedicated to the project and is great at trouble-shooting, coming up with solutions and ideas and he was impressive working under tight deadlines and our limited budget. I would highly recommend Rich. He does fantastic work and he is a real pleasure to work with! read more

I have been SO impressed with Gary and his crew. I cannot believe some of the other reviews I read that did not give him 100% endorsement. Gary always attended our meetings on time, gave me thorough analysis of what needed to be done and completed his part of my complete kitchen remodel in a timely fashion. He and his crew were very respectful of my building and personal property. He called me when anything was in question and waited for my response and acted quickly on my decision. Gary is a knowledgable builder and has a good attitude. His bid was good and subsequent work excellent. He has the unique ability to successfully anticipate problems and coach the client without directing one to a more expensive conclusion. I would use Gary James again in a heartbeat. I have flipped 8 properties, so I have seen the downside of a bad contractor. Gary is the polar opposite, a trustworthy, dependable and smart guy. read more

I highly recommend Red Boot operated by Rich and Gary who were a joy to work with. I had a general plan in my head for my galley kitchen remodel. Rich (the foreman) offered suggestions which were extremely useful and creative. He suggested one type of oven, I another, but before the project began I realized my pick was impractical and went with his. I picked two colors of mosaic splash tile which covered the wall space under the sink and around the walls under all the cabinets. He suggested I put an accent stripe running one color through the other color , a creative idea that looks sharp. Rich helped with some things not in the contract. He is a rocket scientist (actually a former aerospace engineer) and paid attention to detail. Gary does the ordering and accounting. He did me a big favor before the remodel and even came by once to do some painting when Gary's crew was busy. I reserve a star because the remodel took a month, not the contracted two weeks. The main thing is the kitchen looks classy. read more