Dennis was very friendly and helpful and offered great advice on permit questions I have on my…read moreproperty. He's very knowledgeable and I would without hesitation recommend others with permit needs to seek help from him.

Here's my experience. I was building a new house and my…read moreplans were rejected by the City for dozens of reasons. Feeling overwhelmed I searched for someone to help me through the process. I contacted Dennis at Bay Area Permits and arranged a meeting. He had me meet him at Starbucks which I though a bit odd going over architectural drawings in the middle of a bustling coffee shop. He needed a $3,000.00 retainer to get started to help me resolve my permit issues. I tried to hand-deliver the check later that night and found that the Business Address was just a mail drop in Los Gatos. So I mailed the check. We had a follow up meeting and Dennis said he would get started. I have no idea what he did other that he mentioned he needed to access "archives" at the county etc. After that, Dennis was extremely hard to get ahold of. Many calls were not returned, emails not replied to etc. After Months went by Dennis told me he was sick. In the mean time I had resolved most of the issues myself. The main thing I wanted Dennis to resolve was to prove to the City that a house had existed on the lot before as that would save me $17,600.00 in permit fees. We had another meeting where he gave me a Sketch of a home from the 60's? in an area where my lot is. This was supposed to prove to the City that a house previously existed on my lot? I figured the City would laugh at me and they did (chuckled) and said the sketch did not prove anything to them. Desperate and a fish out of water regarding records searching I figured I would take a day off work and try to figure it out myself. I went to Santa Clara County (on Hedding and First St) with the APN number. The receptionist suggested I try the tax assessor as they would have records of previously paid taxes on my parcel. The Tax Assessor told me the parcel number had been changed and I should check with the building Dept. The building Department cross referenced the new APN to the old APN, found the original permit from the 1950's and the demolition permit from the 1990's when the house was torn down. My total time at the County from arriving at the facility to driving away was 34 minutes. Armed with these documents, the City waived the $17,600.00 fee from my building permit. I followed up with Dennis and he stood firm that the sketch he gave me should have been good enough. From my point of view I am a novice, if I could solve this issue so quickly myself then why did he have so much trouble? Dennis mentioned that he would get me some money back but I never heard back from him. I called and left a voice mail asking about my refund, he never replied to my voice mail. This was roughly a year ago. I'll give Bay Area Permits 2 starts instead of 1 star because Dennis seemed nice on a personal level.

We had a great experience working with David! We were remodeling a duplex in Berkeley and taking…read moreout/moving most of the walls, and also digging into the basement to create additional livable space--so it was a somewhat complicated project that required an engineer. David's turnaround time was excellent, and when we submitted our plans, the city didn't have any questions/feedback about the engineering portion because it was so thorough. We really appreciated his contributions to our planning process!

David came to our home at the recommendation of our architect. He charged $500 for the…read moreconsultation, but advised that he would put this toward his fee if we chose to hire him. Because we knew we needed structural design work, and because he was recommended by our architect, we went ahead and paid. When it came time to hire him, he asked for another $500 for a second site visit. He also said that he would not put that $500 or the prior $500 toward the project and that it was simply for his time to visit the site. Our contractor ultimately engaged with a different structural engineer who did not charge us for guiding us toward city typical drawings that were ultimately permitted. David ripped us off, plain and simple.

We had an absolutely great experience working with Prestin Ravid Architects. We hired Eyal for a…read morefull interior remodel and addition to our house, and he consistently exceeded our expectations. We are first-time home buyers embarking on a substantial project with structural changes, and he made the process as simple and straightforward as possible. We tried to work with another well-known architectural firm in the Bay Area but after six months of painfully slow communication and frustration with the lead architect not understanding our preferences or project vision, we decided it was time to look elsewhere. We were referred to Eyal by another homeowner who worked with them and promptly made the switch after hearing the terrific reviews. Eyal understood our vision for the project very quickly and always delivered on time -- often ahead of the milestones outlined in the contract. He took the time to understand our preferences, goals, and budget quickly, and tailored his designs to suit our requirements. Their pricing was also very competitive, offering excellent value for the high-quality service provided. What stood out the most was Eyal's personality and communication. Eyal is a very genuine, empathetic human being and we really appreciated his care, excitement, and attention to detail. He was always available to answer questions and responded to emails within hours, which is rare and invaluable when working with architects. He brought in trusted colleagues to make fast progress with surveying, structural engineering, and energy needs. He is very efficient with knowledge of city permitting process and regulations and our permitting process was smooth and went much faster than expected. If you're looking for a reliable, high-quality architect who gets it right the first time, we highly recommend Prestin Ravid Architects. Thank you Eyal for the fantastic job on the plans and great vision with our house! We are excited for construction to begin and to see our dream home take shape soon.

I recently had the pleasure of working with Eyal. He demonstrated incredible skill and expertise…read moreand went above and beyond to deliver an outstanding result which got me access to an over the counter permit with SF's building department - which saved a lot of headache! His attention to detail and ability to understand and translate my vision into reality was truly remarkable. He took the time to listen to my ideas and requirements, and then used their expertise to create a design that got though the approval process without any delay. Throughout the entire process, he maintained a high level of professionalism and communication and kept me informed every step of the way Eyal's work truly speaks for itself, and I loved working with such a skilled, talented and reliable architect!

I can't say enough good things about working with DKIM Architect. I've used their services multiple…read moretimes to produce plans for my project, and each time Daniel worked hard to get it done. Their attention to detail and experience working with many different cities makes them well worth it. Not to mention, they are a pleasure to work with - always open to my ideas and offering great suggestions. DKIM Architect has definitely become my go-to architect, and I highly recommend them to anyone looking for top-notch design services! Their prices are reasonable after comparing a few different Architects in the Bay Area.

I highly recommend Daniel on house remodeling project. He is very experienced and kind. In my…read morebathroom remodeling, Daniel was able to come up with three design options and the permit was approved very quickly. The price was very good too. I will definitely ask Daniel for help if I have more remodeling projects in the future.

I had a consultation for my room addition project with Quickenplans recently- they were recommended…read moreby my neighbour who did his addition with them. Those guys really know their stuff, very detailed and have a lot of experience with design and permitting in SF Bay. We're still deciding on the project but if we move forward we would go with them.

they said they will perform servie in 2 weeks. it's been 2 months, I have paid everything, I'm…read morestill waiting for them to complete the job

First time house remodel to add a master suite and to expand the living room. Luckily, we had Kyle…read moreas our architect and he made the usually painful and complicated process very easy and not worrisome at all. After learning our main goal of the remodeling (adding a new bedroom), he provided us a very practical proposal and patiently explain what we should consider doing and what we should not. For example, while we had a thought of opening up a wall to re do the kitchen, he suggested we might not want to do it as that will significantly increase the scope and the cost of the project due to the percentage of the remodeling area (to the existing SqF). Another case is the skylight window and sun tunnel windows suggested by him. When he had put those items in his design, we had some reservations as we did not see they were necessary. However, he strongly recommended those items and we eventually agreed. It turns out he was totally right. These low-cost items really took the indoor space to a different level. In addition to the design part, he also followed through the project during the whole process. First, he referred many good professionals (land surveyor, structural engineer, green energy expert, general contractor, etc.) that we can trust. This saved us a lot of time and trouble. Also, there were many inspections and related questions we had during the construction. He always answered our questions promptly and professionally. When it was about the time to file documents for the project completion, he also reminded us and checked back with us later. For a house remodel, an architect is definitely a key contractor you need for the first step. We highly recommend Kyle.

Kyle designed my new house from a SB9 subdivision in San Jose. He is very patient and courteous,…read morevery knowledgeable about the city codes, and always responds in time. His design is elegant and efficient, he oversaw the project and answered all the questions promptly even after the project is well into the late stage. Highly recommend!

I have had the pleasure of working and collaborating with Acadia Architecture on several projects,…read moreand every experience has been exceptional. Davide is a true visionary. His creativity, ability to see the bigger picture, and talent for turning ideas into thoughtfully designed spaces truly set him apart. He brings an incredible level of passion, innovation, and expertise to every project. What I appreciate most about working with Acadia is their professionalism, attention to detail, communication, and willingness to collaborate. They don't simply approach a project from an architectural perspective--they take the time to understand the vision and find creative ways to bring it to life. After working together on several projects, I can confidently say that Acadia Architecture is a team I would be happy to collaborate with again and again. Davide's vision, creativity, and commitment to excellence make Acadia Architecture truly stand out. I highly recommend Acadia Architecture to anyone looking for an architectural team that brings vision, creativity, professionalism, and genuine passion to their work.

We purchased an older, fixer upper on a hillside in Portola Valley with the hopes of rebuilding it…read moreinto our dream home. We aimed to generate income by converting the former primary bedroom into a rentable, attached JADU. This mean building a new primary BR on the back, downhill side of the house, along with creating a new family room, and office. The front of the house was definitely old style, and did not, in any way, match our vision of a contemporary, hi-tech, look. I had interviewed other architects who had suggested we add a new front foyer, but I wasn't thrilled about the look presented, which was basically to add a gable roof addition ("A" frame shape add-on) at at the front, that would be harmonious with the rest of the house. In my first meeting with Davide, he suggested something that changed the whole dynamic of the house. He suggested that rather than be constrained by trying to harmonize the new entry with the old architecture, we could add a new layer to the front of the house, and change the look completely. This also creates a new corridor at the front that greatly improves the flow/circulation from the front to the back. It was a genius idea! This new layer at the front of the house gives us a spectacular new front entrance, plus a new corridor with tall ceilings. He also very skillfully raised the ceiling heights in many parts of the house so it feels like the rooms were expanded (when only the height changed). I am attaching a photo of the original house and Davide's concept for the new design. I want to add that we are not demolishing any part of the old house so we are not losing any existing square footage. We are just adding and "splicing the old with the new". For the new room additions at the back, he integrated the complex siting of the hillside PBR & family room to flow seamlessly into the same level of the existing house on. I have very strong ideas of what I want in terms of design, and Davide has been very patient in working through my ideas. He uses his critical eye and design experience to guide me so I don't get off track, and we can get to where it is I want to end up. We are now in the building permit process, and I can't wait for construction to start. I will be updating this post when the house is finished with more photos, because I want to show off the dramatic transformation between the "before" and "after". If you are looking for a miracle transformation, Davide Gianella is the architect who can make this dream come true for you! I can recommend him 100%

Alex did the full design from architect, structural and anything that can get your project to a…read morereality. His crew did an amazing job to the detail of your liking. Finished the job until you are satisfied . We wanted a open concept kitchen and he made it happen.

I called Alex in desperate need of a contractor to clean up the mess of some awful work done by…read moreanother contractor who abandoned the job and left me without a working kitchen. Alex showed up in 3 days , inspected the home and gave me a quote. Alex was very thorough and up front about pricing, which I liked! He was very communicative throughout the entire remodeling project. His team fixed everything the other guys did wrong. Alex is great with being on time and following up so you never have to worry what's going on. I would highly recommend Build 33 If you want a good job done at a fair and competitive price. I will continue to use Alex and his crew for future projects in my home. thank you Alex.