We researched reviews of general contractors thoroughly before the work began, and selected four to interview in person and invite to submit a bid. Of the group, Sorin was far and away the most personable and professional. Although his estimate wasn?t the lowest we received, we were inspired by his expertise and deep technical knowledge, as well as the fact that he was an extremely clear communicator. We felt confident that he would be able to complete the work on budget and within a reasonable timeframe. Simply put, Sorin and his crew exceeded every possible expectation. Living through a remodel is always difficult, but Sorin made the experience as positive and stress-free as possible. How? -consistent, on-time work ethic: within days of getting the official permit from the city, Sorin?s crew was on the job every single day, weather permitting. They showed up on time, worked hard, and as a result the project proceeded in a timely manner. -respectful and trustworthy: Sorin and his crew were extremely respectful of our house and the fact that we continued to live at home during the remodel process. Although it was their job site, they never lost sight of the fact that this was our home. Specifically, they knocked on the door before arriving in the morning, they didn?t enter the areas of the house that were not ?under construction,? and they cleaned up after themselves several times a day. -available and responsive: Sorin personally came to the house every day to check on the workers? progress (if he wasn?t doing the work himself.) If we needed to discuss something with him, he responded to email very quickly, as well as picked up the phone every time we called (or got back to us within 20 minutes.) This level of responsiveness enabled us to address unforeseen circumstances quickly, keeping the project moving and on time. -excellent communication skills: Sorin has extensive technical knowledge, but he also has the rare gift of being able to convey complex information in a straightforward and clear manner. Specifically, I was completely new to the remodel process and had many basic questions, which Sorin answered with patience and respect. When my husband and I needed to make decisions on the project, Sorin clearly described what needed to be done, what the options for next steps were, and the cost impact of each. For example, in one instance I was trying to decide how the interior of the closet should be constructed. Even though closet design wasn?t part of Sorin?s work contract, he spent over an hour with me explaining the ramifications of different types of layouts. This is just one example of his extraordinary patience, excellent communication skills, and willingness to go above and beyond in order to ensure that we were happy with the final result. -flexible: Whenever unforeseen circumstances arose, Sorin approached these challenges with flexibility, creativity, and a sense of humor. For example, the City of Berkeley sent out one inspector who recommended minimal modifications (installing an additional smoke detector), but the next inspector insisted on extensive design changes. Sorin took the lead on dealing with this discrepancy, and was able to resolve these issues to the satisfaction of the different inspectors. As a result, we made it through the city inspection process in a timely and cost-efficient manner. -saved us money! Sorin was very clear about what was included in the cost and what was not, so there were no surprises along the way. He does this through communicating clearly, providing an up-front contract and as-needed change requests, and having conversations over email (if it?s in writing, then there are fewer misunderstandings.) On top of this, Sorin provided options on material, design, and duration. If we wanted to go with a particular material or product, he was fine with it, but he also let us know if a lower cost / higher quality alternative was available. For example, we originally planned to construct the deck out of redwood. Sorin was willing to do this, but he also told us about Trex composite decking?a lower cost, stain and scratch resistant alternative that was easier to care for as well as being attractive. We never would have known about this alternative if Sorin hadn?t suggested it. This is just one example of how Sorin?s expertise saved us money, as well as future maintenance costs, throughout the process. In general, our house remodel was a large project, but it was manageable (and at times, even enjoyable!) due to working with Sorin and his crew. It is clear that his highest priority is true customer satisfaction with the end result. We love our new remodeled home, and cannot imagine having gone through this process with any other general contractor. We enthusiastically give Sorin and his team our highest recommendation.