Please note: this page contains reviews and opinions sent in by Berkeley Parents Net subscribers. Your own experience may be different. Please always check references before hiring!

Contractor for Kitchen Remodel

This last spring we used Paul Lashley to remodel our kitchen and found him to be friendly as well as efficient. He had a quality team and reliable sub-contractors. We are very pleased with our kitchen and highly recommend Paul. His numbers are: 510-910-1028 cell and 510-243-6640 home Sarah

I highly recommend Marc Shure of Shure Design and Construction for kitchen remodels. Marc redesigned and remodeled our kitchen earlier this year and did a terrific job. Throughout the project he worked closely with us to make sure that we got exactly what we wanted and clearly understood the reasons behind the choices we had to make. Marc is thorough, conscientious, and does excellent work. Although he is a finish carpenter by trade, he is a general contractor with thorough knowledge of all aspects of construction. His cabinetry is beautiful as is his finish carpentry. His design for our kitchen made the space much more functional without tearing out any walls (which is what we wanted) and retained the character of a bungalow kitchen. Marc's business telephone number is 510- 540-1952. Carl

We've a baby due in July so don't have time for a complete kitchen remodel of a very old 50's style kitchen....one with the stove hood on the ceiling type! I do want to give it a little face lift before the baby comes. We're not looking for high end work but someone honest who does good work at a reasonable price. Any recent first hand experience with a contractor who service the El Cerrito/Richmond area? Thanks much, LK

Mike Wilson just completed a major kitchen remodel, and wemre extremely satisfied with the entire process and outcome! We had a small kitchen and adjoining laundry room walls, ceiling and floors gutted down to the studs. Mike combined those spaces into one large, bright open kitchen. This involved wall removal, structural beam installation, creating new window and door openings, new outside siding, etc. Mike works independently and did much of the work himself. He supervised the entire project and any sub-contractors brought in, e.g., for major plumbing and major electrical work.

His carpentry and drywall work are impeccable. He kept the project on schedule and within budget. In particular, we appreciated his detailed project estimate spreadsheet which covered every single aspect of the remodel. Mike also provides invoices on a regular basis which detail all work completed and associated cost and materials making it very easy to track one's budget during the remodel. Any surprises (there are always some) were dealt with head on and the time/cost impact of any changes we requested mid-project were discussed in advance and documented before proceeding.

Mike's rates are very competitive, and he is pleasant to deal with and a good communicator. He took great care to answer any and all questions during the remodeling process and is very honest and reliable.

Please contact Mike at (510) 559-3461. Rafi

We are starting the process of remodeling our kitchen in Oakland and are looking for a reasonable general contractor. To save on costs, we would like to take care of all the initial planning ourselves, e.g. architectural drawings, ordering cabinets, counters, appliances, etc., then have the contractor take charge of the actual remodel. In essence, we would like to general contract the planning part of the remodel ourselves, then hire a general contractor to oversee the actual work, including hiring out the subs etc. Has anyone remodeled their kitchen this way and if so, what was your experience like, where you able to save costs? Are there any recommendations for a good, but reasonable, general contractor who will be agreeable to this plan? Any advice is appreciated! Brooke

We contacted him in late August and asked him if he thought he could have the entire remodel completed by October 31, my due date w/ #2. He said barring any unforeseen complications or excessive rain, he'd be finished on time. From the first day he demoed to the last day he came to our house was slightly over 3 weeks. We ordered the cabinets ourselves (and knowing what we know now, we wished we had consulted w/ him first because we had problems with the vendor and aren't particularly pleased w/ the quality of what we ordered), ordered the dishwasher and disposal from a company in Chicago, order the granite from a Granite Expo, etc. We already had our stove, hood and fridge. As long as we had elements on time to match his timeline, he was happy to have us do all the running around for what he was installing. The only things he got himself were plumbing and electrical items that he didn't feel comfortable with ''rookies'' picking up correctly.

As to how ''reasonable'' he was... I can't attest to that since we decided to go with him early on in our search. He was punctual returning emails and phone calls when other contractors we called acted as if we were lucky they even bothered to return our initial phone call. He seemed reasonable to us - plus he is licensed and came with great recs from BPN already. My biggest fear was the never ending remodel and we got a beautiful kitchen 2 days before our daughter was born.

If you'd like to see pictures or ask me specific questions, please email me directly catherine

We are planning to remodel our kitchen and at least one bathroom and need some recommendations for contractors. Sarah

Upgrade kitchen before selling condo?

We will be putting our SF condo on the market soon (moving to Berkeley!) and a realtor we consulted advised us to buy stainless steel appliances for our kitchen before selling it. It is a victorian flat with a remodeled bathroom and is a nice place except for the kitchen. The kitchen is crappy. It is a nice sunny room but has ugly 60's cabinets that were obviously removed from another apartment and slapped into ours, hideous yellow laminate countertops that are peeling in some spots, decent but very basic white appliances, and an awful layout. What the kitchen needs is a total remodel, which we are not going to do. Doesn't it seem like a waste to put any money in the kitchen when the buyer is clearly going to want to start all over? And if we do get stainless steel appliances, it looks like buying the cheapest models of everything will cost a total of about $2,000. But won't that look cheap too? Yet it seems even crazier to spend $5,000 on a viking stove or whatever because it seems unlikely we would recoup that investment. Any advice? Thanks! anon

As long as your appliances are in decent shape and look OK, don't worry about the color. Use your money to give the kitchen a nice facelift that will help it sell much more easily than swapping out the appliances.

For far less than that $2000 and a weekend of sweat equity, or a bit more money to a good handyperson you can get a very nice looking kitchen. Paint the walls, replace the cabinet hardware and paint the outside of the cabinets if they are chipped or scuffed or particularly dark and ugly, replace the curtains or blinds with nice inexpensive stuff from Ikea, and install a new stainless steel sink and new faucet and put down a new laminate countertop. Throw in a new, bright light fixture if needed and a new peel and stick floor and you basically have a nice looking if nothing fancy kitchen. For a bit more money you can hire a company to reface the outside of the cabinets (replacing doors and putting trim on the exposed cabinet face outside the doors).

Then price it competitively to reflect the fact that the kitchen is nothing fancy. Buyers who care about having a real gourmet kitchen won't like your kitchen, so they will either pass it up regardless of the appliances or be glad to save enough money to do it themselves later they way they want it. Everyone else will be happy with something that is clean looking and functional, especially if it costs them a bit less than it would otherwise Stainless steel is overrated

1. Your realtor in SF should be someone with a VERY good sense of the market, and someone you can trust regarding key issues like this. If it's not clear to you right now that new appliances are the way to go--that is, the argument doesn't ring true, then I'd ask the realtor to give you a better explanation, or think about shifting realtors. You'll need to have confidence in your realtor, and it doesn't sound like you're there yet. More discussion and interaction may get you there.

2. In this mixed market, sometimes there's no clear and easy answer. That's tough for sellers, but I think it's important for realtors to be straight on this. ''Let's go look at what your competition looks like now at this price point; let's see what THEIR kitchens look like; let's see how long that quite comparable unit takes to sell; and so on.'' Sometimes saying one doesn't know for sure actually increases the level of trust.

3. Here in the East Bay, the condo market is really quite slow, and I can imagine advising new appliances. It's definitely the case that certain buyers like/expect ''granite,'' and ''stainless steel'' in ads. I like GE Profile because they are good value while still punching the SS button. But location, charm, and so on all enter into it so much that advising from a distance like this is really useless.

4. In situations where I don't think new appliances make sense (often in ''creeping incrementalism'' cases like yours--new appliances means new cabinet fronts and countertops, which means new paint, which means then the flooring will look dated and out of place), I try and turn the negative into a positive.

For instance, I've sold beautiful vintage condos in Oakland with the argument that we're not touching the kitchen--it's usable for now, but the BUYER will get all the upside value benefits from renovating, in addition to getting the kitchen THEY want. Plus, the buyer gets to decide WHEN they pay for that upgrade-- now, when they are scrimping to make the downpayment, or next year, when they can afford a bit more (though if you make improvements now, they can essentially ''finance'' the added cost in their mortgage at low rates over 30 years. Next year, they might not have enough equity for a home equity line yet, and would pay more in interest if they need to borrow.)

The Dec. issue of Realtor magazine has an annual feature that rates the return rates on investments of various kinds in various metro areas. I'm at home rather than the office (email me if you'd like the details for SF), but generally the return rates here, in contrast to other metro areas in the country, are positive--about 125% of cost invested, on kitchen remodels.

But again, you need to work with a realtor who can convince you of the logic of their arguments and advice, based on comparable homes, market trends, and so on. If you're not there yet, you might want to talk more and build on that relationship, or shift to a new one. Best, Maureen K

For those members who have recently made posts looking for bathroom and/or kitchen design and cabinetry, and remodeling of old spaces, I recommend you visit the new location of Custom Spaces easy to find on Solano Ave. at Tacoma (1603 Solano), 510-526-7333. We have used their services for a bathroom remodel (custom cabinet and tile installation) and a custom kitchen corner bench (banquette) and know them to be extremely professional with a keen sense of how to transform a space with just the right colors, cabinets, fixtures and look that you want. When doing such projects, attention to detail is key and that is their specialty as far as my husband and I are concerned. Go check out the striking kitchen design in the window of their new shop. They have a kid zone too!

I'd like to recommend KitchenWorks for kitchen remodeling. We recently moved into a mid-century house with an original kitchen. The layout was decent, but the dHcor was beyond terrible. We considered several options for redoing it, but decided on KitchenWorks because they could give us what we wanted at the price we were willing to pay. They give you an exact price at the beginning, and that's what you pay. I was relieved not to get stuck with extra costs down the line. They refaced the cabinetry, gave us all new doors and drawers, built a new bank of cabinetry and a pantry, put in granite countertops, etc. From start to finish it took them 3 weeks, which was a big deal with kids in the house. Our kitchen is unrecognizable. We used Manon Demers as our design consultant, she was fabulous-easy to work with and very helpful with design (800-464-2234 x 482). Check them out-they'll come to your house and bring examples of what they do. Website is kitchenworks.com. Please tell them Sara and Carey sent you. If you have questions or want to see pics, let me know. Sara

Paragon for kitchen remodel?

We recently took the plunge and bought a house that badly needs a kitchen update. We're thinking of using Paragon Remodel, and would love to hear from past clients. Was your experience good, great, mediocre, nightmarish? Any info will be greatly appreciated. first-timer

Do-it-yourself kitchen facelift

we are in the process of giving our approx 50 yr old kitchen a much needed facelift. we are hoping to retile the countertops, put wood floors down and paint the oak cabinets. we are ultimately hoping to remodel this kitchen but our budget is keeping us from doing such a remodel just now. i am writing to ask if others have done similar "kitchen facelifts" and if the results were pleasing to you. we are quickly learning that one project always seems to lead to the next and the more money you spend in home rennovation, the more you save in the long run. however, we just want a kitchen that looks nice for ourselves and for entertaining for the next 5 years or so. what changes have you made and did those changes make an impact in your space? thanks in advance for words of encouragement and caution.
kitchen facelift much needed

Budget for kitchen remodel

Having just returned from the Rockridge kitchen tour I'm convinced that everyone out there doing a kitchen remodel must have at least double the budget we would like to spend. Would anyone out there be willing to share (anonomously even) what they've spent on a kitchen remodel, total? It looks to me that everyone is spending a six figured sum - am I right? don't have 6 figured sum to spend on a kitchen!

Minor and affordable kitchen upgrade

We are planning on completing a very minor and affordable kitchen remodel; no changes to the layout of our existing floorplan. However, we are planning on putting in newer appliances, adding a dishwasher, putting in hardwood flooring and exploring options for countertops and cabinetry (reface vs new cabinetry?)
1) Since our needs are specific and we are not making any changes to the floorplan, aside from putting in a dishwasher in place of existing cabinets, should we still seek out a kitchen designer? If yes, any recommendations? (info is a bit outdated)
2) Any recommendations on a contractor; can contractors also complete electrical needs?
3) Any recommendations on affordable places to purchase granite countertops and how much does it cost per foot?
4) Has anyone done research on refacing vs purchasing new cabinetry and the pros/cons in terms of cost/time and wear?
Thank you! New to this remodeling process

I don't think you need a kitchen designer if you have a good idea of the following:

Color scheme (appliances, cabinet & floor finishes, countertop) ''Look'' (modern, country, etc) for cabinet doors, handles, etc. Features of appliances you want most Changes to lighting, additional outlets, etc. If all of this sounds overwhelming, a kitchen designer might be helpful.

Refacing vs new cabinetry: Pros of refacing: costs about half what new cabinets do (for our small kitchen the refacing estimate, excluding countertops, was about $12,000). Apparently takes much less time (my understanding was the process is generally completed in about a week). You do get new doors on the cabinets (so if your old doors are beat-up it doesn't matter). Cons of refacing: Pretty limited number of places do it (the only one we found that did hardwood veneer facing, rather than the melamine-type, was Kitchen Works).

Pretty limited number of finishes available; we wanted oak with a red rather than yellow finish, and it simply wasn't available. You can't change anything at all about the cupboard layout. For example, if your dishwasher is not exactly the same size as one cupboard, and you would need to add a small cupboard to fill in space, or replace a neighboring cupboard with a smaller one, you really can't do this.

About granite countertops. Home Depot Expo's prices are not the best, nor are KitchenWorks. There's a place down on Hollis St. in Emeryville -- can't remember the name right now -- that had much better prices. Costs $50 - $100 or more/ sq ft, depending on the granite you choose; plus extra for backsplash and edging. If you want cheaper but still nice you might consider SileStone, a product that's over 90% crushed granite, and filled with epoxy, so it doesn't have to be sealed (granite does). Karen

Good design/build firm for kitchen remodel?

Can anyone recommend a good design/build firm for a kitchen remodel? I have checked the archives, but I am interested in talking to others. Also -- going with a design build firm seems easier (is that right?) but is it also more expensive? please reply to bryson

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