Martinez Trailer Home Remodel

Jason was the PM for another GC. He basically saved the project by strapping on a toolbelt and did much of the work himself. Great quality and attitude.

I am in a mobile home, where nothing is "normal" in size. I bought a new bathroom vanity top that needed to be shortened by 1 1/2". I took the top to the site and they cut it and smoothed out the edge in a very short amount of time. I've yet to have it actually installed, but there shouldn't be any problem.

Sigura constructuon did a big remodeling and expansion project to our Eichler home in Palo Alto. This included adding a room, adding 1 1/2 bathrooms, completely replacing the kitchen, flooring, windows and paint. The team was very professional and dependable and was very easy to work with. They delivered high quality work and exactly on time (which was very important to us since we had to move out of our rental). I highly recommend them

I am very happy with the results. I discussed what I wanted with Fuzzy and was very specific about the materials I wanted used in building the new porch - pressure treated wood and redwood - he did exactly as I requested and did a great job. He built an extremely sturdy front porch, widened the stairs and made them less steep, adding an additional step so that the stairs are easier to ascend and descend. He built easy-to-grasp handrails and painted the entire porch as agreed in three coats of non-slip, water-resistant paint in the agreed upon color that matches the house exterior. It did take about a month between the time that we agreed to the project for it to come up in his work rotation - but that is normal with contractors - you have to wait your turn. And it was definitely worth the wait!!! Once the project started it was done in three days. The employees were very polite, friendly and well-mannered, they arrived timely and cleaned up after themselves every day, leaving the driveway and surrounding area immaculate. About a month after the job was completed, the state inspectors arrive and it passed without question - they told us that Fuzzy had done a terrific job. We already knew that, but it was nice to have it confirmed by another professional! I will be hiring Fuzzy again in the future to do other work on my mobile home.

Tony had to work around my work schedule (I work part time). He was timely. He noticed additional things that I might want done and since he was there he just had his people do them and didn't even charge me. My bathroom and kitchen are beautiful now. He even brought the top quality base boards in the bathroom instead of replacing the "fake wood" ones that were there. He's great and so are his workers.

They specialize in mobile homes and manufactured homes. I have a manufactured home. He was so helpful and encouraging. I’m really inclined to go with them when and if the time comes that I need a new roof. They offered a roof, most roofs have like a 20 or 25 year warranty, guarantee, whatever you call that. But they offered a new material that they were actually extending to a 30 year guarantee and it was just a little bit more expensive, but, you know if you want to add those years on that you dont have to deal with it I thought it was a really good idea. I was willing to go with a 30 year roof with a better material for an extended period of time. So I would put that information in there saying that was being offered. So I imagine that is going to be offered by other companies in the future. .

My girlfriend and I moved back into our newly remodeled home about three weeks earlier than planned at the beginning of the project. From the beginning Wise Builders set themselves apart when Nathan and Sal came by for the initial consultation. They were very professional, showing up on time on a weekend, and provided a very impressive presentation. They listened to our needs and even talked us out of doing an expansion to the footprint of the house that would have added tens of thousands of dollars to cost of the project. Instead, their design team came up with a design for a fantastic new, much larger kitchen and three new bathrooms within the existing footprint of the house. Our 1960s era home has been completely transformed! Our foreman Fernando and crew lead Alfredo were great to work with and did exceptional quality work at an amazing pace. Be warned that once the process begins it is a wild ride with many decisions that must be made in succession. Thankfully I have a flexible work situation and can be available to meet with Nathan, coordinate other work related to the remodel, make online orders and trips to the hardware store for fixtures, etc. Nathan has been great working with us and keeping us informed what the next steps in the process are. Alfredo worked hard right up to the end to deal with last minute inspection surprises, touch ups, and details that all add up to a top quality result. I cannot recommend Wise Builder enough. We look forward to enjoying our (essentially) new home for years to come!

First of all, my Wife and I love our newly remodeled home. The process of finding a contractor is pretty tough because you it's hard to know who to trust. We selected HLS remodeling & design because when we interviewed the owner, Mike. He was extremely knowledgeable and upfront about our remodel. One thing we didn't want to worry about was hiring sub-contractors and we were very pleased that Mike had his own crew and didn't need to sub out any of the work. He even sent over his own Architect to draw up plans. He handled all of the permits and disposal.  He was always timely with responses and there was always someone working on our remodel everyday (sometimes even Saturday and Sunday, of course he checked with us first). Also, we made payments after work was completed. We've all heard horror stories of contractors taking your $$$ and never coming back but this wasn't the case with Mike. Our renovation was pretty extensive. 1. We had to have a complete re-do of our electrical. We needed to replace both the main and the sub-panels, remove the old wiring, install all new wiring and bring the whole house up to code. We also wanted to bring upgrade from 100 to 200 amps.  2. We gutted the entire kitchen and reconfigured the layout, which included moving the gas line for the stovetop (Mike provided the computer generated layout for the new kitchen). We had new white shaker cabinets, granite countertops, tile flooring, backsplash and under-cabinet mounted lights installed. The kitchen was also repainted. 3. Both the guest bathroom and master bathroom were gutted and new tub/shower pans, heat/fan/light vents, tile floors, tile on the walls, mirrors, vanities and fixtures were also installed. The actual work for the Electrical, Kitchen and Guest Bathroom were started around the end of October and were all completed before Christmas. After the Holidays, Mike and his crew completed the master bathroom in about 2 1/2 weeks. Permits and inspections were all performed and paperwork provided to us. Everything looks and works like new and we are so happy to have gone through the process thanks Mike and his entire crew at HLS remodeling & design. We will definitely have them back for our next remodeling project.

It was choppy. There were problems. The granite piece slipped a little overnight. They said that's never happened, and pulled me aside to attribute the problem to guys remodeling my bathroom. I was told they must have stood on it, or at least pushed it. These guys who work for me remodel homes from top to bottom and know very very well not to touch a drying piece of granite slab. I had to pick from another slab to replace the one that moved, which had to be broken into pieces and removed. DC Tile came back to replace the granite, but I had to pick from a different slab, same kind of stone. Not quite the same as what was already in place. When the second installation was three hours late, I was told it was because I had to personally choose the stone. Keep in mind that I made a trip to their stone yard at 8am to meet with the cutter, precisely to avoid any delays. Still it was my fault they were late. Go figure. Also, there were two small chips in my brand new tile that I thought were not there before they began their work. They, on the other hand, told me the chips were there when they first arrived, and that they took photos to back up their claim. I asked to see the photos several times, but no photos were ever shown! If they didn't blame every big and little mistake on me, the consumer, and even considered the possibility that they might have contributed to the problem, I wouldn't be writing this negatively By the way, when I was told that stone slippage has never happened to them, I went online and on the webpage of a granite installer it said clearly that this kind of slippage can be expected. It happens. I sent them the web info, but still they denied that they could have had anything to do with the problem, or that it was even possible to occur on its own. Not very professional, in my view. In the end though, the granite looks good, even if the colors are a little bit mismatched. Also by the way, they told me that bullnose edging was not an option. Really?

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.