Have you ever walked into a house and thought to yourself, "What on earth were they thinking when they built this place?!" -- well yeah, that's the house we bought. We were well aware/dreading the fact that we would inevitably have to endure the hassle and expense of some serious remodeling -- which was as appealing as a quadruple bypass without meds -- ugh! We talked to a few different companies and got some quotes, met a few pompous contractors -- and then we met the Vanderbilt folks -- (cue the angelic music...) they were efficient, friendly and down to earth from the very beginning. They took our original concept and made major improvements on it without breaking the bank. They explained everything, made suggestions on ways to save, accommodated our random requests/changes/whatever and completely exceeded our expectations. They were neat, professional, friendly and truly a pleasure to work with. Now that the job is long done and the rooms are messy and lived in, I can't imagine how we could have lived without that newly usable space. I have been raving about the Vanderbilt crew ever since they finished...now if I could only talk my husband into upgrading my hideous kitchen, I could get Vanderbilt back for another job! Oh, and before you pick up the phone to call these guys, make sure you are calling the RIGHT Vanderbilts from Castro Valley, there are two (other one spelled VanderbUilt) -- the ones on the Boulevard are the good guys, I'm not so sure about the other guys. Give them a call -- and you can thank me later! read more

If your looking for a remodeling contractor I can personally tell you to look no further. As a co-contractor and after some 25 projects together, Vanderbilt Family Builders can do it all, from the ordinary and small to the large and extravagant. The best part of their service is that they treat each client as if they are the only one they're working with at the time. The jobs sites I have been on are always neat and tidy and easy for my crews to get in and do thier jobs the way they need to be done. I'm always available as a personal reference. Greg Gibbert Co-Owner Carpet One of San Ramon read more

We wanted to build a new deck, replacing a 35-year old crumbling one, but had no idea what we wanted in the form of a new one. Randy worked with us for three months firming up plans and costs and in two weeks the deck was done! It's beautiful, functional, much easier to access and allows us much more freedom in getting to our terraced gardens. Wish we could include pictures of the finished product as we are very proud of it. We have no qualms about recommending Vanderbuilt Family Builders and any project you might be consideriing. read more

These guys have integrity, pay attention to detail, and do super work. We had them redo our entire first floor with stone... and had them do it while my wife and I were away on vacation in Spain. Basically left them the keys, some clear instuctions, a cell number, and they took care of the rest. The emailed / IM'd us a few times with questions / decisions to make and we are extremely happy with the results. Quality work. They did not cut corners - and clearly took pride in the final product. I have no hesitations in recommending them. Dave read more

I have personally worked with Randy with Vanderbilt Family Builders in Castro Valley. They are honest and competent.Being a general contractor myself,I respect the professionalism and attention to detail on every job.Randy also likes to keep the schedule and always has the clients best interest in mind. Vanderbuilt Family Builders has been in the construction and remodeling business for many generations and it shows.Regards Joe Loza of Loza Construction Inc. read more

Want a building contractor that: - Provides a very competitive quote and sticks to it? - Is professional, clean, and shows up on time and every day they say they'll be there? - Lots of experience, been in the construction business for 4 generations? - Knows the ins and outs of what's required to get approvals with the county building departments? - Been in business in the area so long they know all the building inspectors? - Clearly communicates the project status on a weekly basis and recommends solutions to any issues? - Completes the job on time and on budget? - Has an entire crew that is friendly, clearly communicates and makes sure you're getting what you expected? - Builds a quality product? - Ensures that ALL the finishing touches are completed to your satisfaction? Then talk with Randy at Vanderbilt Family Builders. I had a large fire at my home and I was dreading hiring a contractor to rebuild the home. We've all heard the stories and I've personally dealt with contractors that don't show up when their supposed to, don't complete the work on time, run over budget and leave a mess. But fortunately, I had an amazing experience with Vanderbilt Family Builders. I selected them after interviewing 3 other contractors, reviewing the estimates, talking with and meeting references and looking at past projects. All Randy's references highly recommended him. During the Job: - Randy estimated the project would take 6 months to complete. - Randy kept me informed of the project status on a weekly basis. If there were issues, we discussed, and he always had a reasonable recommended solution. - I went to the project site often and spoke with the crew. They were also really helpful, answered any questions I had and made recommendations during the construction. - We added a small addition onto the home as part of the construction. Randy knew exactly what the county building department needed and approval for the addition was pretty much a slam dunk. - Randy's uncle is a cabinet maker and he made custom cherry cabinets throughout my home. I was even able to go over to his shop in Castro Valley and see the cabinets as they were being built. - I really think the most amazing part was that Vanderbilt was very focused on cleaning up all loose ends before the project end date. His crew cleaned the house throughout including washing all the windows. Randy then had me walk through the new home and look for anything that needed to be touched up. What was really amazing was that there were just a couple of very small touch up items (mostly paint touch ups). He had his team come out and spend a day touching up everything and cleaning up the home again. My insurance company was also happy. They told me they rarely see a project of this size completed in 6 months, on time and on budget. They also required a lot of detailed paperwork during the project and indicated that Vanderbilt was extremely helpful in helping to get the right paperwork for quick payment approvals. I also recommend Amica home owners insurance, but I'll have to write that in another review. I would highly recommend Randy and his team.There are two Vanderbilt's in CV, make sure you call the one on Castro Valley Blvd. Please feel free to email me if you have any questions. - Chris read more

Vanderbilt Family Builders - the logo for vanderbilt family builders, inc - General Contractors Near Me - Castro Valley, California

Randy and his crew just finished a kitchen remodel. They were on time, on budget, all with quality craftsmanship. We could not be happier.

We worked with Vanderbilt on our kitchen remodel; Sarah Vanderbilt is a professionally trained designer who patiently worked with us and laid out our kitchen with exacting detail and a fine and sensitive aesthetic sense that really helped us narrow our design ideas to get plans-on-paper that were translated into the right cabinet choices for our limited space. Bob Harmola is a knowledgeable and experienced construction professional who knows the pitfalls to avoid and correct way to get a job done at a reasonable cost to fit a budget. They also maintain a network of allied construction specialists like window installers that can be relied upon. They were prompt and efficient and we recommend them highly. Dan and Lory Hawley Hayward, CA read more

We recently had Vanderbilt Family Builders do some work on our home. I worked with Bob Harmola. He came out and looked at what I thought needed to be done. He recommended what needed to be done and what didn't . He submitted a detailed proposal that we felt was extremely fair. Bob is knowledgeable and professional and one of the most honest people in the construction business I have ever dealt with. He was prompt in returning my emails and calls. We had several workers at the house but I want to specifically comment on Angel. Angel is a hard worker and did a great job. The job required some extra work and Bob worked it into the schedule. I am very pleased with the result and highly recommend Vanderbilt Family Builders. We will use them again. read more

I was talking to a few contractors for an insurance paid work and Vanderbilt was one of them. Because of the nature of my work, its difficult for me to take many days off to deal with contractors and adjuster. Most contractors will try to work around my schedule except for Mr. B from Vanderbilt. Most asked for a 1-2 hours window for the consultation which i think is reasonable amount of time for me to get to know them and their plans as well as they getting to know my expectations: quality materials, quality work and timely completion. Surprisingly Mr. B here asked for 30 minutes trying to squeeze in so he does not have to come on the weekend or on happy hour (he explicitly said so). He wanted a 8:30 appointment knowing that I had a hard stop at 9 for a very important meeting in the City. Mr. B showed up 10 minutes late, strolling through my place with his shoes on disregarding the fact that i was not wearing mine. Unlike other contractors, instead of telling me what needs to be done to restore my home, Mr. B asked me what I wanted done. I ended up using my meeting preparation time to walk him through the adjuster's thoughts. The consultation took 1 hour. Before leaving he promised to give me a detail estimate within 2-4 business days. A week and a half had gone by without a single word from Mr. B. I made numerous attempt to contact him with no success. I was at the point of dropping Vanderbilt but as a curtesy, I decided to atleast hear from Mr. B since he spent time on the consultation. Finally I was able to get him on the phone only to findout that he was not interested in the contract. His reason was my talking to multiple contractors. I suppose Mr. B expects me to hand over a big contract on a gold platter. The issue is not with him deciding to drop the project but its his professionalism. A single curtesy phone call would have been sufficient. I was not very happy that i wasted time with this company but I was glad that i get to see Vanderbilt's customer care before entering a contract. I have been asked if I had mistaken Vanderbilt Family Builders with Vanderbuilt (with the U). I clarify to those who read this, this review is for "Vanderbilt Family Builders" read more

We were really hoping to find a good general contractor in Castro Valley for our house remodel. Dealing with Vanderbilt Family Builders was an incredibly disappointing effort simply to get a quote. We have a LOT of work inside and outside of the house. Including kitchen work, office cabinets, tile work, and complete front and back landscaping. On some things we knew what we wanted, some we did not and were looking for suggestions. "B" from Vanderbilt Family Builders came by on time. He immediately made the impression that he was too good to be here. Some little comments about our home were borderline insulting. Ignoring this we plowed forward. Since he did not want to provide any creative suggestions AT ALL regarding the things were had not made our minds up about, we proceeded to show him a number of well defined jobs (some including dimensioned drawings) for the kitchen and studio/office areas. He left with a promise to get back with us in a week. 10 days went by. I called and could not get ahold of him. I left a message without getting a return call. My Fiancee ran into him in front of Pete's a few days later. He said he had been busy, and would get back to us in a few days. Another week passed and nothing. I called again and did get ahold of him on a Tuesday. He said he'd have a quote to me by Friday. That was over 3 weeks after he visited. It has now been 6 weeks since the last contact with "B" . We have moved on. Placed orders for a lot of work, and are past thinking about these people ever again. I don't know if it was just "B", or if the company is simply incompetent or just too busy for anything but $1 million jobs. We have gotten something out of it. Every once in a while we run into someone with the same poor attitude and customer relations as "B". We simply say to each other, "It's 'B' ", and laugh. read more

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!! YOUR 1 STOP FOR REMODELING FROM BIG JOBS TO SMALL! Our contractor from VFB was Bob H. We also used H&H design who works closely with VFB. We started with our kitchen needing new cabinets, paint, and granite. Our small project turned BIG when we realized we needed to update our floors, blinds, stairs and furniture, ect. Bob and his crew of highly skilled/trained workers came in on time, worked hard, cleaned up, were professional, polite and got the job done right. Beautiful workmanship. You need a good contractor to coordinate all the different jobs, people and supplies. H&H Design was fabulous in finding just the right granite, paint colors, area rugs, furniture, lighting, ect. Teresa and Shannon are tremendously talented designers who guided us in staying within our budget, while designing a beautiful plan for our downstairs. Thank You VFB, Bob, Teresa and Shannon!!! Well done!! read more