Felix at Straus is the absolute best!! I came to Straus in desperation after having another carpet contractor take my money then give me the runaround (don't worry, I got my money back). Not only did Felix provide excellent customer service, but he is also extremely knowledgeable with over 30 or maybe 40 years in the industry. To top it off, Straus was able to help me get my project done in a timely fashion. Project description: to install carpet on a spiral, metal staircase. Straus cut and bound the carpet. I installed it per Felix's expert advise. read more

Straus Carpets - Staircase - Carpeting Near Me - Oakland, California

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We have beautiful hardwood stairs in our home. Alas, our furry friend needed some help boosting his confidence in descending the staircase. So we called Straus Carpets. Steven Graff came out and gave us an estimate. And then Alberto arrived a week later to install the carpeting on the staircase. We were a bit nervous the carpeting might not do the trick, but it did. Our dog now descends the stairs with ease--thanks to Straus! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yR73KMn0_0&feature=youtu.be read more

Straus is a well-run, customer-friendly business with an utterly deluxe, good-old-fashioned approach to customer service. I needed a to replace a raggedy master bedroom carpet. Walked into Straus and was greeted by Liz, who pointed me to suitable samples. Ordered the carpet. After it was installed, we found that a long seam -- made necessary because the room is wider than normal carpet widths -- was highly visible, perhaps due in part to the way the sunlight hit it through a big window. Straus sent people, including Tom Straus himself, several times to smooth it out, but in the end the problem could not be solved. We then considered various carpet replacement options, but none was going to be wide enough. Tom's solution: No charge for the carpet or installation. Tom said, "If you're not happy, you owe us nothing." I protested, but he absolutely refused to accept even a partial payment. I am a Straus Carpets fan forever. read more

Straus Carpets is amazing! Tom couldn't be nicer and has gone out of his way to help me with a very complicated floor issue that I had. His team is fast, kind, and has a strong attention to detail. I would highly recommend! read more

We had a terrific experience at Straus Carpets with Steven guiding us along. We were replacing 35 year old wall to wall carpeting and the task seemed daunting. Steven's knowledgeable assistance was key to a successful install. The choices of carpet were good and the sample boards can be taken home. Once we selected several he ordered samples that were shipped directly to us. Steven was very patient and responsive to all our questions. The installers did an amazing job. The stairs needed to be wrapped and they turned out beautifully. The upgraded pad was worth the extra. Another great suggestion. Steven also made up an area rug with the extra carpeting. We love our Masland carpeting! read more

After slipping on our stairs twice, I decided to get stair runners installed. I contacted Straus Carpet, and very glad I did. Straus himself came by for carpet selection and made sure I was aware of everything that would add to the cost, by how much, and make sure I was okay with it. Alberto did the installation about a month ago, and it looks and feels great. I feel much more confident and comfortable descending the stairs. In the past month I've talked to someone who got stair runners installed by a different company and she said there are spots where they can feel the staples. Since I heard that, I've studied my stair runners and paid extra attention and can not detect or feel a staple. So, I'm very happy with my carpet and the installation, and would highly recommend Straus Carpets! read more

I initially met Steven when going in to the store looking for a cheap remnant because I previously bought one there 10 years ago. I asked about carpet for my condo and left buying nothing. Two months later I was ready to carpet my condo. I signed up with Costco's carpet service and they said they would call me within 48 hours and nobody called. I also called a place in Hayward and they wouldn't come out and bid unless I went to Hayward first. I called Steven and he showed up within an hour and was very helpful and gave a quick bid on carpet/linoleum/baseboard. I accepted right away with timing of 2 weeks out. A few days later I asked if he could do it the same week. He changed the schedule around to accommodate me. The installers did a great job and I am very happy with the service. I recommend Strauss to anyone in need of flooring. read more

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Excellent customer service, great inventory, quick installation. Tom and the whole team are knowledgeable, helpful people. I would highly recommend! read more

As a consumer I think I am allowed to ask clarifying questions and make requests about the bid given. Not buying new pad was something Tom suggested to help me save money since he said my current pad is good enough to be reused. I have decided to add to my previous review screenshots of our emails exchanged. Kordean Korlok is mentioned in one of the screenshot, which is the LVT for the stairs. Now why would I have asked to cross out the stairs from the contract when I wanted that done to begin with? I will let the screenshots speak for themselves. read more

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Service that is second to none by a kind, knowledgeable, and accommodating proprietor and his staff

We had 3 bedrooms carpeted in 2017 and everything went great. But we were really impressed when we called them back 3 years later and asked for help repairing one of the carpets that was coming up b/c of a naughty kitten. Tom (owner) sent a tech the very next morning to perform the repair and didnt charge us anything for the work. We were not expecting that, but it was a welcome suprise. Would definitely work with them again. that is fantastic customer service. Thanks Tom Straus! read more

Truly remarkable customer service at fair price! From the moment I stepped into the Straus Carpet showroom in Oakland, I received clear pricing, many different carpet choices and excellent customer service. When we had to delay our installation to have stairs removed, the owner Tom was understanding and totally flexible. Replacing the carpet on my stairs has been on my 'wish list' for five years or more. I wish I had gone to Straus Carpets years ago but better late than never! The results are stunning. I also love that this is a local, family-owned business. I would use them again and recommend them to others without hesitation. read more

Straus Carpets - Carpeting Near Me - Oakland, California

I would pass this business twice a day for years when I was working. I really didn't notice them until I decided to change out my wall-to-wall carpeting for hardwood and some new carpeting. I started looking during the COVID period and wanted to stay local and support a local business. My sister found Strauss on Yelp and Consumers' Checkbook. Excellent reviews. I had an opportunity to interact with all the salespeople, especially Steven, and they were all excellent--knowledgeable, personable, patient, and not hard sells which turns me off. Their selection was varied and of good quality. When it came to the installation, I had a problem with the subflooring in my bathroom. Steven helped me get a contractor in with real short notice. Now that's customer service! And a word about the installers who are longtime employees--experienced and efficient. You can't go wrong with this company. I can't recommend them enough for their excellent customer service and the quality of their product. read more

Straus was great from start to finish for our stair runner. They advised us to find carpet from their remnants so it'd be more affordable, and came multiple times to the house before to do measurements and show us exactly what the widths would look like.... because we had 3 bends in the stairs it was a little tricky. They installed it so fast. Looks beautiful. And even came back to fix the bottom landing within a day of me calling. Great customer service and responsive. Highly recommend! read more

Straus Carpets - Stair runner - Carpeting Near Me - Oakland, California

After being referred to Straus by my designer, I was assisted by Eugene and found him very knowledgeable, helpful, and overall a pleasure to work with. read more

I walked in and immediately was helped by Lisa, who showed me a variety of samples. The next day she came to our house to take measurements, and brought the sample swatches to show my wife. Then they ordered the carpet we selected, and two weeks later two men arrived exactly at the set appointment time and installed the rug on our stairs, all before lunch time. Did I mention the very reasonable price? THIS is how the world is supposed to work. read more

Vera and Strauss Carpet are the best! Instead of an overwhelming experience she helped me narrow down my carpet options for a family room that is the most used room in our house with outdoor access, lots of traffic and comfortable for busy toddlers, adults and our well loved family cat. She came to the house and expertly measured, was very helpful in selecting from the color options and made it so easy. Installation was professional and quick and the old carpet and pad was taken away at the same time. I have used Strauss over the years and Strauss is the best! read more

Using Straus for the 2nd time. First time for carpeting bedrooms and now kitchen flooring! No wonder Straus has been able to survive during these unprecedented times - they are honest, reliable, and know their floors. Respectable and professional installers too! Thank you, Liz for your help, yet again. read more

I love this place. We've bought a number of area rugs from them and hired them to install carpet in our house. They go above and beyond to make it all east and it's very cheap. read more

The entire Straus Carpets team did a fantastic job, amazing service and superb quality.  I would highly recommend them for anyone in the market for carpet in the East Bay.  The entire process from beginning to end was very easy and it was a great experience! read more

A painful review to write. All that happened would take too long to write. Here are some of the issues. Steven started out very well. He showed up on time to measure my job. I waited about a week for the quote. I texted to see what was happening: Me: Please let me know when you have a date for the install. Him: I didn't hear back from you at all. Both of the rooms are much larger that 12x12. Please call me tomorrow. One of the rooms was indeed larger the other was NOT. I said the sizes were a guess when I first met him. I can say one thing for certain: In my 35 years doing remodeling, I have never had a sub measure and then it was my job to ask for the final quote. The install time was 8:15AM, Steven having refused my requested time of 10:30. When did they show? 10:15AM! No call or text. I drove through rush hour traffic to sit there for 2 hours. No apology was offered. The people that came were nice and did a great job. read more

Tom, the owner, guided me through my very first carpet purchase for about an 800 square foot area. He was honest about what we needed versus what we didn't, visited our home to give us an on the dot estimate, and brainstormed with me about using the old carpet that was in ok shape to re-carpet our garage stairs. The end result looks amazing. We love our new carpet! PS - Tom couldn't help us with what we wanted for a room downstairs (wanted to replace carpet with wood and he didn't carry the size of boards we needed). But he recommended a place that ended up doing a great job at a very reasonable price (T&T). Great service! read more

Steve was so helpful in explaining my carpet options which I need to turn into an area rug. He gave me fantastic information about the possibilities and also another good referral of a local carpet binder. Really appreciated his friendliness and easy going nature. Definitely a must-go, support your local carpet retailer! There is a parking lot, just past the main building. read more

After ordering a carpet installation through Home Depot, we found out the soonest available date wasn't for 3 months! Fortunately we found Straus Carpets and they were able to do it in about a week. Tom helped us select a carpet and explained the options in a really straightforward way. He and the installers provided great customer service and ensured we were completely satisfied. read more

First off: the prices here are definitely the cheapest carpet that I could find, AFTER you speak to a sales person and get them to give you a competitive rate. I spoke with Liz, who was very professional and gave me competitive pricing. Later I called back and was hung up on. It took me a few tries to get a hold of someone again eventually. Weird. At one point, we were ready to go forward with Straus, but the price that she was giving me was different from the price she quoted earlier. There was some confusion and since we needed the carpet quickly, I decided to save myself a headache and go with someone else that I personally felt had their shiz together. When I called them back, I had a slightly awkward conversation about why we were choosing to go with someone else (she kept asking and would not let it go. I did not think it was very professional of her). Eventually we did go with someone else that was wonderful. I think Straus would have been a fine choice, especially if you are on a budget, but for $40 bucks more you could get more personalized service elsewhere. BOTTOM LINE: Cheap prices, okay customer service. My experience was not a deal breaker, just a little awkward. May be willing to try again in the future. read more

I have used Straus Carpets for both carpeting the upstairs of my home and for area rugs. The customer service has always been above and beyond spectacular. Tom was very good at staying within our price range and helping us to get the most for our money. Everyone was very welcoming, friendly, patient (even when you stare at the carpet unable to make a decision for hours!), and quick to do a professional installation. They are a locally owned company that gives back a lot to the community, which is another huge plus. Go here for all of your carpeting OR hardwood and linoleum needs! read more

We had the good fortune of working with Rita of Straus Carpets when we decided to replace the carpets in our newly purchased home. At first we were overwhelmed by all the carpet types and color choices, but Rita, who has been involved in selling carpet for over 30 years, spent time explaining the various carpet brands, grades, and types while going over the pros and cons of each one. It's a pleasure to work with someone so knowledgeable in their field, and Rita, who refers to herself as a "carpet educator," took the time to really understand our wants and needs and direct us to the type of carpet best suited for us. She came to the house and did all the measuring and provided us with a price quote that covered the carpet, the carpet pad (another topic she spent time educating us about), as well as removal and disposal of the old carpet. We were under a time crunch because we wanted the carpet installed before we moved into our new house, so she expedited the order and called to let us know when it arrived. The installers came out on the date and exact time we agreed on, and proceeded to do an excellent job of removing the old and installing the new carpet and pad. We had just had the interior repainted and had new baseboards installed so were a bit concerned that the installation might do some minor cosmetic damage, but there was not a single scuff or scratch mark on our walls or baseboards when they were done. Straus is a deservedly well-regarded local business that really takes the time to work with their customers and offers top quality products and services. We would not hesitate to use them again. read more

A 4 star review for Straus Carpet / in and out in less than 2 hours, to rip out an old wall to wall carpet and install a new. The carpet is a beauty and both the rug and labor prices were competitive with other carpet shops. The installer has 24 years experience and it showed. Highly recommend! (Would be a 5 star review but the communication and follow up need some work.) read more

Hardwood floor in the house, needed rugs... The experience here was so good, I was suspicious. The employees were patient, let us try out multiple rugs over the course of two days (we could have taken a week). People were overtly friendly and helpful. Loaded and unloaded the truck with rugs. When we bought them, they made sure we knew the conditions under which the purchase would be held (we could bring it back for a refund, not a store exchange). Wow, just wow. Check it out, you have to see it to understand. Top notch company here. read more

My excruciatingly cheap boss forced me to deal with getting the carpet replaced in our law office after a roof leak. He really cared only about price and made me call a million places, so when I got the quote from Rita at Straus (amazing price!) I was ecstatic that the end was in sight. What I was not expecting was the fantastic customer service we received throughout the process. Rita's was the only quote I got that was broken down into component parts with different options/potentialities outlined depending on the materials I selected and whatever might be the salvageability of the old pad underneath our grungy old carpet once the installers took it up. She was exceedingly kind and patient with all my questions and happy to work around our schedule, splitting up the install over two different court holidays so our attorneys wouldn't have to miss a day of work and we wouldn't have to pay to move our office equipment into storage. Also, most commercial carpet is HIDEOUS, and Straus actually has nice options to choose from, a big plus! I actually have a family friend who runs a floor covering company (who I initially contacted for a quote and who costs twice as much), but I would highly recommend Straus (and especially Rita!) to anyone. read more

I'm really glad I found this place on Yelp. I had a great experience buying a carpet from Steven at Straus. They have an extensive selection and the customer service was superb. I just completed a major master bedroom renovation. I needed new carpet for the bedroom and a staircase, but I don't usually like carpet, so choosing one I could live with was daunting. Steven was fantastic. He walked me through all of the pros and cons of all the different kinds of carpet; he let me lay dozens samples out all over the showroom floor; and then let me take half a dozen samples home. I was a little high maintenance and Steven never lost patience. Our remodel schedule kept changing, so I had to reschedule the installation several times and Steven was always accommodating and nice about it. The actual install was a little rocky. Our painters weren't quite finished when the installers arrived, which was understandably frustrating for all parties. The floor also wasn't level, which caused a problem with the transition between the carpet and new tile in the master bathroom. Long story short - I wasn't thrilled with how the Straus installers finished one edge of the carpet. I called Steven to find out what could be done and he immediately scheduled a repair team to come out and fix it. The repair guys were super professional and knew exactly what to do. The problematic transition is now perfect. And the carpet we chose is actually really beautiful and feels wonderful under our feet. We're really pleased with how everything turned out. read more

Not only do they have a terrific selection of carpets, you have to work with Rita, she is fantastic!! This woman knows her stuff and her carpet!! She will make excellent suggestions and isn't out to sell you the most expensive flooring there is. She will give you her honest, expert opinion making sure what she is selling you is the right choice for your situation. When I had a problem with my carpet the owner himself came out to look at the issue and offered suggestions. Don't go to Home Depot or some big box store that could care less about you, use Strauss' you won't be sorry !! Looks like Rita continues to be # 1, way to go Rita !!! read more

Very professional and courteous service. Liz worked with us and was fantastic. They take the time to explain different carpets and work within your budget. Custom carpet ordered and installed very quickly! Install only took 2 hours which included 3 bedrooms with closets, 2 stairways, and a family room. Shop local and avoid big box store carpet. read more

We had a great experience with Liz and Strauss. Liz came highly recommended by our relator. She was honest about the pros and cons of different carpets and wasn't trying to sell us the most expensive stuff. She gave us a good price and the crew did a good job with installation. There were minor issues with the installation and they came in and fixed it for us. Highly recommend! read more

My husband and I moved to Alameda and were looking for a local carpet store. Our old Victorian-era home has lots of hardwood and we needed something a bit softer on many of our floors to cushion our then 8 month old baby from coming months full of stumbles and falls as she learns to crawl and walk. But we didn't want to go with wall to wall carpet - sacrilege in a historic house! So, we bought a great neutral looking remnant that Straus Carpet bound in a custom size for our baby's room. We left enough of a border to show the beautiful hardwood too. Tom was a super-friendly sales guy. Not pushy at all, but also very informative about the kind of rug that could stand up to everything a baby could throw at it - spitup, diaper explosions, sippy cup spills, etc. He also recommended a rug pad that would be best to cushion our active baby when she falls (and boy has that come in handy the past few months). Binding was complete in a couple of days (they bind once a week), price was very reasonable (we shopped around in Oakland, Berkeley and the surrounding area a lot), and service was great. We've been back several times to look at remnants for other rooms and also for inexpensive machine made area rugs. We've gotten personal calls from other sales people at Straus letting us know when new stock has arrived so we can check it out. read more

I visited Straus recently while shopping for an area rug. I was looking for 4x6 or 5x7, and while they had a few smaller ones, most of their inventory was 5x8 and larger. They had a TON of gorgeous rugs priced reasonably between $100 and $500, mostly synthetic but also some that were 100% wool. They also have a remnants area for parts of installed carpets that were left over that were very reasonably priced (but not as nice as the area rugs). My friend and I browsed for quite some time and the sales people were very helpful and let us do our thing for a while. They let us take home our rugs overnight and decide if they were the right fit or not before charging our credit card. I would definitely recommend Straus to anyone looking for an area rug. read more

I never write reviews, like never. But Straus did such an amazing job, I had to say something. Steven from Straus is the best. He came to my property, took measurements and provided me the best quote around. He worked with my schedule, even sending me photos of samples since I was traveling and could not come into the store. Not only that, but he knew I had a pretty strict timeline and was able to accommodate the install. Now that is service!! If you are looking for new flooring, don't go anywhere but Straus! read more

We worked with Liz to buy carpeting for our house. She was dedicated by driving from Oakland to SF on short notice. By choosing material that was in-stock enabled her to have the job done in less than a week. She also sent three installers and they worked very hard and expeditiously to finish. They were polite and tackled the job with gusto. Her pricing was also competitive and worked with us to find the right produces on our budget. read more

I've driven passed Straus carpet for many years. Finally, I needed to replace all the carpets in my home. I was impressed with the history of this company, and the long-standing employment of the employees. I was helped by Rita and by Tom. The order was completed on time, at the estimate given and the installment team did a nice job. Highly recommend. Huge selection and a non-intimidating sales team. read more

I found Straus Carpets through Bay Area Bargains and realized Jerry and Tom (owners) have the right strategy. Find employees who understand how important customer service is... They talked to us very patiently, and in excruciating detail about carpet construction and that helped us buy a very nice carpet that will last 20+ years. The installation went well, with only minor damage to the ceiling (which Straus credited us for the repair) when a closet door was not so gently removed. The new carpet looks great! read more