We had a fantastic experience working with Rick for our seismic retrofit. He made what would have otherwise been a confusing and overwhelming process (with the EBB program) a breeze. He was thorough, efficient, knowledgeable, and just overall so pleasant to work with. His prices were reasonable and he completed all of the work on time. If only all contractors could be this amazing! Could not recommend him more. read more

Rick Hoffman did an outstanding job on our 1909 duplex here in Oakland. Rick was very thorough in explaining the project and what it would entail, and he was exceptionally positive and creative in setting up the project to flow smoothly. Rick uses custom-built compact dumpsters which came and went as needed and fit well in our driveway; when we asked about them, he explained that he had made these dumpsters! Opportunities for cleaning out under the house and enlarging the access for future work came up, and it was great to work collaboratively with Rick to add in these extra goals. We thoroughly recommend Rick Hoffman Services -- and agree with the many previous glowing reviews. read more

We highly recommend Rick Hoffman for your seismic retrofit project. Rick and team were fantastic throughout our complicated 1915 house retrofit. Rick helped us find a seismic engineer for plans which had been a road block for us for getting started. Dan Szumski drew up some great plans while maintaining the aesthetics of our house and windows. Throughout the project, unexpected complications arose, sometimes significant, as always seems to happen with a house of this age. Rick and the team always found an option or some way to handle the situation which kept the project moving all the way to completion and the receipt of the transfer tax rebate for seismic work. Crawling to inspect the work found some amazing fabricated metal pieces and welds along with the more standard epoxy bolt and brace work. One very nice thing was that Rick's crew are extremely self sufficient and could arrive and depart without questions or assistance. This made the long project very tolerable. As an engineer myself, I feel much better now having the A quality seismic retrofits in place for our vintage Berkeley, CA house. I highly recommend Rick Hoffman and Dan Szumski to plan and execute your seismic retrofit. read more

I can't say enough good things about Rick and his team. Rick came recommended for our seismic retrofit project by our realtor when we bought our home, and Rick immediately showed himself to be patient, kind, and an expert in his field. He also came across as imminently honest and fair: he found various ways of keeping our costs reasonable by not recreating documentation for our project that had already been done, for example. Rick's team members were real craftsmen, as well as being kind and respectful. Along the way Rick went out of his way to identify things we might want to do: for example, he identified remnants of an old heater no longer in use along the side of the house where his team was adding bracing inside of the wall, as well as two open-air vents into the house that weren't needed any more. He took care of all of these items in a way that felt efficient and super thoughtful -- like he genuinely cared about the project and our living experience. I'd work with Rick again in a heartbeat. What a pleasure to find someone with his knowledge, professionalism and kindness. read more

Rick was great to work with for the seismic retrofit job through Earthquake Brace and Bolt. He was responsive, thorough, and patiently answered our million questions. He left the place better than he found it--could not recommend him more! read more

Had a recent inspection of our home and the technician mentioned the quality of seismic retrofit work performed by Rick and his team six years ago. I reached back out to Rick with a couple follow-up questions about the work performed back then and he was quick and very helpful. Glad to have the peace of mind through Rick's work on our house, highly recommend! read more

We, my wife and I, were positively thrilled and delighted with the services provided by Rick in helping us to plot a remodel of our Berkeley cottage. We're on our way and Rick got us launched and brimming with confidence. THANK-YOU, RICK!!! Howie G read more

Rick Hoffman was my general contractor several years ago. He did an excellent job and was very efficient and very accommodating to my input on suggested modifications and changes to designs and layouts. He demonstrated a great deal of respect for me as a woman, which is not always the case. Most recently, I called him about a very minor modification, that I currently needed to make, to a particular aspect of that 17 year old renovation job. He remembered the particular issue and went out of his way to walk me through how to address it. He even remembered, and was able to direct me to, the company where he bought the special material needed to address this problem. So, with his help, the current issue has been satisfactorily resolved. I highly recommend him and his company. read more

Met with Rick today, he was very helpful in describing what my 1020 Berkeley home needs as far a retrofit. It had been done in the early 90's before the standards changed to what is current. He is a great communicator, timely, very pleasant and helped me figure out which directions I could take. When I am ready to re-retrofit I will certainly call him! read more

Absolutely phenomenal contractor and foundation specialist. Was kind enough to give me his experienced opinions about the foundations of two properties I was considering buying. For a very reasonable fee, his opinion and experience were invaluable to me. He would be my first choice for foundation work. I trust him immensely. read more

We originally chose Rick Hoffman for our seismic retrofit project because of his fair bid and because of how patient he was in explaining/translating the work that the engineer had proposed to secure our foundation through the EBB program. I have certainly experienced sexism in interviewing contractors before and Rick was respectful, professional, and thorough in his explanations. We went through this process just as the pandemic was starting. The first lockdown had lifted but no one knew how challenging life would be. It took several months to get our building permit and 6 more months after for work to commence, but through that Rick stayed in touch and let me know what was going on. When his schedule finally got back to us, he gave us 2 weeks notice before starting work, and on the day they started he was very clear about how the next few weeks would go. His team was great - was very conscious of masking and distancing - and did a very thorough job cleaning up the site on the last day. I would highly recommend Rick Hofmann and would definitely consider him for future projects. read more

We learned about Rick through the Eartquake Brace Bolt (EBB) program. He is very experienced with work that qualifies under the program and helped us navigate the system to ensure that we receive the maximum allowable refund. Our retrofitting project with completed without issue in about one-week, with two of Rick's men working about 9-5pm. I'd highly recommend working with Rick. Just a heads up that Rick is a popular contractor through the EBB program, so you may have to wait a a few months to have the project complete, but it's worth it. read more

Needed someone to come out and inspect existing seismic work and complete an earthquake insurance form. Rick responded immediately and scheduled a time the following week. He showed up right on time, was incredibly friendly, knowledgeable and performed the inspection with no issues. I would absolutely work with Rick again. read more

We hired Rick Hoffman Services to Earthquake retrofit our 1930's Oakland house. We had an opportunity with the Earthquake Brace and Bolt program to retrofit underneath our house. We reached out to 10 companies and interviewed 3. Rick was really helpful, caring and gave great information. His company was listed as a qualified contractor and after our first meeting I learned why. He has intimate knowledge of the program and has worked with the city of Oakland and Berkeley on an advisory committee. We hired him on the spot. We had a 2 person team come and work on our house for a couple weeks. They were polite, friendly, quick and cleaned up after themselves on a daily basis. I was so impressed with the work under our house. When the project was complete I crawled around under our house and inspected the work myself. It was so clean and tidy and they went above and beyond securing our house to the foundation and strengthening our 1930's wood structure. We feel very safe now. Rick handled all the permitting and inspections himself. It was great to trust and know that he would get it done right. Everything was processed so nice and neat, we already got our check from the Earthquake Brace and Bolt program just weeks after completion. If you need to hire a contractor for the EBB program we cannot say enough good things about our experience! Thanks Rick and staff! read more

Rick is very knowledgeable about the Bay Area. He has a deep understanding of soil conditions, building standards, foundations, and seismic retrofits. He's a stand up guy. We are deeply appreciative of the advice he provided us about addressing cracks in our walls. He'll be our first call for future projects. read more

Rick Hoffmann was the best thing to happen to us while remodeling/restoring our house. Our home inspector recommended him and now I can see why. He holds high standards. He is honest, reliable, and does great work. I learned so much working with Rick. We used him for the following services: Seismic Retrofit New windows and doors Dry rot removal Termite damage Stucco Kitchen framing Bathroom framing Kitchen layout Subfloor work, bathroom & kitchen Skylight General information guru We were determined to do a lot of work ourselves and he was always on hand to answer questions and give referrals as well. He is a wonderful source of knowledge, is not shy about teaching and is an all around fun guy to work with. I can't imagine a project being any more satisfying or fun! I can guarantee that isn't something you hear when talking about home remodels/restorations. read more

There is nothing that Rick Hoffman Services cannot tackle. His crew is knowlegable and friendly and extremely versatile. Rick is a problem-solver, so all those tricky decisions have clever solutions and options from which to choose. He has a great sense of design and is very informative and enjoyable to work with. His creativity and experience in all areas surely is demonstrated. His crew (carpenters, plumbers, electricians, etc.) take pride in their work and clean up well. He knows whom to call in (has great contacts for excellent tilers, roofers, etc.) and when, saving us many stress headaches. He has done the following services very well for us: new windows outside step reconstruction( 3 story) and trellis complete bathroom demo and construction kitchen construction laundry room construction skylight new roof and lots of "while you are here...." projects I recommend his full services completely. Do I dare mention that, in the midst of bathroom rennovations, when I was sick in bed, he chose to run out to bring me back healing soup? He is a great contractor and therapist (what we all need during these trying renovations) . read more

I highly recommend Rick Hoffmann for any work you need done on your home. He recently completed a seismic bolting project on my home in Berkeley and he and his team were true professionals, attentive and courteous. Rick helped us figure out if we needed a new foundation or to bolt our old foundation, and he recommended bolting to us even though it meant a smaller job for himself. As a new homeowner, I've also been very grateful for how generous Rick has been about giving me advice on other issues on our house. For example, he took a walk through and noticed that some double pane windows that have failed are probably still under warranty by the brand and we could call to have them replaced. He's also given great suggestions on remodeling our bathroom and been willing to talk through ideas for a potential addition to the house. I highly recommend working with Rick! read more

I'm very happy with every aspect of the seismic retrofit that Rick and his team performed on my house: - Rick knew the ropes and handled every aspect of the paperwork, including permitting, and filing with the City of Berkeley for the transfer tax rebate. (Speaking of which, I didn't know about the transfer tax rebate; it was Rick who told me about it.) - He was able to move the work up to align with my schedule, and to be in time for the transfer tax rebate (which, as Rick told me, must be filed for no more than one year after the recording of the sale). - His team was pleasant while onsite, and disrupted my work schedule (which is at home) not at all. They're accurate with their hammer-work, make minimal noise, and are highly efficient. - Rick himself is quite pleasant and knowledgeable. I'm sure I'll be working with Rick and his team again. read more

We hired Rick Hoffmann and his team to retrofit our 1960s home in San Pablo. Rick's bid and proposal was very clear and well formulated. He got the permits handled quickly and his team of very pleasant workers got all the hands on work done quickly. The workers were helpful and fixed a garage wall that was damaged during one bit of drilling. I didn't notice it and felt very grateful that one worker did the fixing up without even being asked. After the inspection, Rick and his team gathered up some materials pointed out by the inspector, even though they did not cause the problem. We really appreciated all of the work. read more

When we first bought our house Rick Hoffman did our earthquake retrofitting, foundation, and dry rot repair. He is so enjoyable to work with and we were so pleased with his work that he has always been our go to person over the years for other projects. While he is specializing in seismic work now, he went out of his way today to consult with us about some new issues that showed up on a pest report. He was incredibly helpful and took the time to educate us and explain things in detail. We have learned so much from him over the years! He is very knowledgeable, is an excellent communicator, and is totally trustworthy. He also has a great crew who are very professional. I recommend Rick with total confidence for any work you may need. read more

Rick is fantastic. He is not only a very good workman, he has something very few workmen have, a kind of vision and imagination as to how the final product will be to live with. He is capable of looking at your house, seeing what you plan to do, and seeing better than you can just what will meet your needs and wants best. I can't emphasize enough the importance of his ability to visualize how things will work. A few years ago I had him and some other people look at building a back deck for me. Another, excellent contractor was cheaper than Rick, but needed guidance from me all the way on just how the deck should be built. So we did that. Two years later I had to face facts: the deck was extremely well-built but completely unsuited to the garden it was in and the use we wanted to make of it. We wound up replacing it with something pretty much to Rick's original design, at significant cost. There are many contractors who can do fine work, but very few who have Rick's ability to hit just the spot you need. In contrast, the doors and windows Rick put in where we just went with Rick have worked flawlessly for years. The design and execution were beautiful. It's a 1920s house, and these doors and windows look like they've always been there. He's very unusual! You should really check him out for most work around the home. read more

Rick Hoffmann knows all the ins and outs of the Earthquake Brace & Bolt (EBB) program. His experience makes the whole process seamless for the homeowner. His communication skills both on the phone and in person inspire confidence in the skill set he brings to the table. His detailed quote blew other contractor proposals out of the water. In spite of the challenges presented by Covid shutdowns, Rick managed to get a permit from the city, deploy his hard-working team, and move the job along. At completion he uploads documents and photos to the EBB website relieving the homeowner of what might otherwise be the frustrating final steps that must be taken before submission of the application. In addition to his professional prowess in the construction industry, Rick is a straight-shooting all around nice guy. If my house needs work in the future, Rick is the first contractor I will call. read more

We hired Rick Hoffmann Services for a major earthquake retrofit project on our 1924 Berkeley home. Rick and his crew were outstanding. All work was done timely; we were kept apprised about each step; there were no surprises. The project included removing and replacing large sections of wall and ceiling, sheet rocking, taping and painting and reattachment of custom cabinets--all done with precision, carefully and safely in the midst of the pandemic. Rick knows all the technical aspects of earthquake retrofits and the ins and outs of the permit and EBB processes, and he's friendly and accommodating. We would definitely hire Rick again. read more

Rick Hoffman recently inspected our retrofitting for insurance purposes. He had done extensive work for us in the past including putting in french doors, converting my bare bones garage to a finished music studio complete with a bathroom, lighting and insulation, in addition to doing the original earthquake retrofitting 20 years ago. I highly recommend his work; it has really held up very well over the years. He has great professional expertise and is prompt and easy to work with. read more

I, and others in my family, have had work performed by Rick and his company many times over more than 25 years. He has always done top notch work and often goes beyond what other contractors consider "high end". He's smart and creative, and a very nice guy (don't be fooled by the picture of him in a suit, though - he always wears shorts!). You can't do much better than him for foundation and brace 'n bolt work. Highly recommended! One caution: don't expect a return call or message very quickly, or after making only one contact - keep calling him! read more

We had a wonderful experience with the services provided by Rick Hoffmann. He was very thorough and had communicated with us throughout the process. He took care of everything. His work was done in a very timely manner and his crew cleaned up at the end of each day. I highly recommend Rick Hoffmann for EBB work. Excellent contractor! read more

We had Rick Hoffman inspect our house for the California Earthquake Authority Seismic Bracing Program. He was great! Knowledgeable, informative, prompt and reasonably priced. We'll call him again if we need any work done on the house. Thanks, Rick! read more

Rick and his crew earthquake retrofitted my basement this spring (2020). He explained and demonstrated the procedure and answered all my questions fully during the process. They did a quality job in every respect. I would hire them again for any other construction project. read more

Rick Hoffmann Services is great! We hired Rick & team to do a retrofit on our 1907 Oakland home for the Earthquake Brace and Bolt program. They did the work as promised and we easily passed inspection. Bonus - Rick really understood the EB+B program with all the paperwork requirements, which made the process go much easier for us. read more

Rick performed an earthquake retrofit for us. We're totally happy with the work. His crew was really tidy, quick and friendly. You can tell their experience runs deep. Rick came in as the middle bid out of three competitors and we're certain that we chose the right contractor to do the work. 10/10 would hire again. read more

Rick managed and completed our earthquake retrofit with earthquake brace and bolt. Excellent communication, including quick answers to questions. Everything was timely, managed professionally including uploading information to brace and bolt, getting the building permit and completing the work. Our place was left tidier than we left it. Overall our experience was a seamless and very easy one. Would unequivocally recommend him and his team to anyone. Thanks! read more

Rick came recommended on a short list of trustworthy retrofit contractors by a Berkeley engineering professional. He made himself available for my relatively small job, even though he's as busy as anyone else in the month of June. He communicated clearly, remained responsive via text and email, and saw me through, from the permit process to the final inspection. He went above and beyond the scope of his contract, installing my smoke and CO2 detectors and re-strapping my water heater, to make my home safe and compliant. His workers were courteous and tidy. I'm really grateful to him for making this happen so efficiently--for me. He's the one who waited around for the inspector, and who returned to add additional bracing to my water heater! read more

Rick is very professional and knows what he's doing. He actually charged less than the original ballpark estimate he'd given me, and the price never changed once he wrote the official quote, which I really appreciated. This hadn't happened for me before with contractors I'd used. (I do NOT recommend Rob Thompson Construction in Emeryville!) Rick is good about letting you know when his workers will be there, where they're at in the project, etc. He's also very helpful about other things. After the job was done, I ran into him at the permit office when I needed to pull an electrical permit. Even though he wasn't going to be doing the work, he helped me with where to go, how to complete the form, etc. As others have said, he's honest, reliable, and does great work...when it comes to your home, what more could you want? read more

We got a recommendation from our realtor to have Rick look at some potential water intrusion issues on our property. Even though Rick doesn't do this work anymore, he agreed to come take a look and to give me some guidance. Rick spent 30 minutes with me touring the house and talking through various potential trouble spots. He was very knowledgeable and helped put my family's mind at ease. Rick didn't even charge me for his time. read more

Rick Hoffman's crew did a great job on an earthquake retrofit in the crawl space of our 1910 North Oakland home. He has years of experience doing these kind of projects and was very familiar with the necessary paperwork, including our required city of Oakland permit and inspection, as well as what the Earthquake Brace + Bolt folks needed, as we were eligible for a $3,000 subsidy from that California agency. Rick gave us a straightforward estimate, which included paying in installments. The work came in at exactly the price he quoted. And he was very patient when we required a little more time to make the final payment. Rick's crew was polite and efficient. Thanks for a job well done. read more

We worked with Rick on the Eartquake Brace Bolt (EBB) program. Rick is highly experienced and uses an efficient crew that completed the retrofitting work in around 1 week. Rick is fairly busy, it may be hard to get hold of him, and there may be some waiting to start on the project. Lastly, we had a minor issue affecting our thermostat due to work done in the crawlspace, but Rick was more than happy to come back and address the issue. Very pleasant experience working with Rick and his crew! read more

I found Rick through my house inspector. He was very helpful and knowledgable about the Earthquake Brake and Bolt program. The work was done on time and his team was very nice. I would highly recommend him for your seismic retrofit project. read more

A great contractor: did excellent work for us on a complex home remodel/retrofit. Came through at a fair price, was very understanding of our interests/needs, and was available for consultation all along the way. His crews were first rate with both rough and finish work. Rick is an excellent communicator, with clients, his own crews and other subcontractors. We felt very well taken care of throughout a project that involved: Seismic retrofit and drainage Unfinished basement-to-room conversion New windows and doors Custom window replacement Interior repairs, resurfacing, texture and painting Plumbing and electrical Fence, gate and garage door replacement We settled on Rick after interviewing a dozen or so contractors, all of whom seemed well suited to one or more parts of our overall project--but none of the others "got it" for the whole shebang the way Rick did. Not only did he take care of everything we'd built into the contract, he also helped us think through options we'd never considered--for big ticket and little ticket items. About half way through with what we'd agreed to, we extended the initial contract into some additional renovations that paid off big time in terms of the final result. We've lived in our current home for over 30 years and over that time have hired a half dozen contractors for different jobs--roofs, insulation, painting, patio/paving, etc. Rick was the most knowledgeable, clearest thinking, effective and fair minded of them all. We'd hire him again in a second. read more

Rick Hoffmann takes the cake. It's Hoffmann in the lead by forty lengths! Hoffmann exceeds all expectations! Hoffmann's the greatest! Yeah, Rick! Thanks, Rick! You really outdid yourself on this one, Rick. It was just great to come home and see EVERYTHING done! Not only the entire sink setup and the stove but the water heater and the steps outside and the trimming and the shelves!!! Am I missing anything? WOW! I was so surprised since no one had come by the time I left, about 11:30 am; I figured you'd be here tomorrow. But, no! There you've been! Hurray! Muchas Gracias to you and to your hard workers. Thanks, thanks, thanks! See you soon re: other work. read more