Get matched with top second story addition builders in your area

"In September 2024, I contracted with Scott C. McIntyre, the owner of Landscape Solutions to do landscaping work at my residence in Los Altos, Ca. The work consisted of replacing existing retaining walls and steps in my back yard and installing a new patio on an already flattened area on the hill in my back yard. Mr. McIntyre declared the work completed on November 4, 2024 although there remained issues with incomplete and substandard work and failure to adhere to rules imposed by the California Contractors State License Board (CSLB). I have filed a complaint (currently not resolved) with the CSLB. I paid Landscape Solutions $56,385.41 of a Total Contract Estimate cost of $58,790.00 (with a not to exceed clause of $60,000) with final payment to be made when the project was completed to my satisfaction. The project was never completed to my satisfaction with some (not all) of the outstanding issues described in this review. ISSUES WITH WORK QUALITY - NON-CODE COMPLIANT, SUBSTANDARD, NOT COMPLETE 1. The Guard Rail over the lower retaining wall is not building code compliant. The most serious issue with the work that Landscape Solutions did was that the guard rail built over a retaining wall does not meet building code and is not child safe. A picture of the guard rail is shown in the review I posted on Yelp (posted with a one star rating on January 20, 2025), but I am not able to show a picture on an Angi's List review. The guard rail is made up of vertical posts spaced approximately 45 inches apart and two horizontal rails between the vertical posts. The upper horizontal rail above the surface of the newly built patio forms the top of the guard rail. A second horizontal rail below it is halfway between surface of the patio and the top of the guard rail, leaving two large gaps between the horizontal rails, each gap approximately 19 inches wide. Code dictates the maximum gap in the guard rail is 4 inches. A child could easily fall through the large gap in the guard rail to the level below. A baby crawling on the patio could plunge head first off the patio to the lower level and be seriously injured. I emailed a picture of the completed retaining wall and guard rail to my city's Building Code Enforcement Division and inquired if it was building code compliant. A Code Enforcement Division representative replied with an email message (Client can provide the actual email message). Following text is from the email message: "The rail needs to be 42" high and there needs to be a maximum of 4" between the horizontal rails. The fence as shown does not meet the standards and intermediate rails need to be added." -----End of quote from email message sent by city's Code Enforcement Division------- NOTE: ALLOWING A CONTRACTOR WHO DOES NOT KNOW THE BUILDING CODES TO BE LICENSED PUTS THE PUBLIC IN DANGER. 2. Incomplete and substandard work i. There are areas with no pavers, just dirt, adjacent to the lower retaining wall. Contractor fixed some but not all areas along the newly built lower retaining wall. A picture showing an example of this issue is shown on my Yelp review but I am not able to show a picture on an Angi's List review. The picture shows where paving stones should have been installed next to the retaining wall. ii. Gate not installed in lower retaining wall. The retaining wall that was being replaced had a gate. I called this to Mr. McIntyre's attention in a reply message to his message that the project was complete. He replied in an email message that he would replace the gate. iii. In doing the work, Landscape Solutions workers moved items (e.g., wooden glider bench, other patio benches, chairs, patio table, an umbrella stand) from the flattened hill area to other parts of the back yard. I requested that the items be returned to their original locations. Mr. McIntyre, in an email message, agreed to do so. This was not done. Returning items moved to their original location should be a standard part of Landscape Solutions clean-up work upon completion of a project. ISSUES WITH NON-ADHERENCE TO CONTRACTORS STATE LICENSE BOARD REGULATIONS In items 3 and 4 below, quoted text is from Contractors State Licensing Board publication "Contracting for Success", which was downloaded from the CSLB website. 3. Contractor did not give buyer a copy of the signed contract as CSLB requires. "Before any work is started, the contractor must give the buyer a copy of the contract signed and dated by both the contractor and the buyer." 4. On the day work began, Contractor asked for payment of $15,000 along with the signed contract. "Except for a down payment, a contractor can't demand or accept payment for work or materials until the work is actually done or the materials are delivered. The down payment may not exceed $1,000 or 10 percent of the contract amount, whichever is less." Contractor gave following reason why he asked for $15000 at start of project. Quote is directly from an email message he sent client. Client can provide the actual email message. Text of email message from Mr. McIntyre, in quotes: "My son is out of state at college and it is very expensive. My cash flow and bank account funds do not allow me to pay for your materials before delivery and pay my payroll in advance of getting paid by you if this is what the CSLB requires." --------End of quote from email message sent by Mr. McIntyre-------------- 5. Contractor made additional changes not in contract without a change order being added to the contract. Contractor's office manager then billed client for the unauthorized work. The Contractors State Licensing Board publication "Terms of Agreement A Consumer Guide to Home Improvement Contracts" (downloaded from the CSLB website) states the following: "Extra Work and Change Orders become part of the contract once the order is prepared in writing and signed by the parties prior to the commencement of any work covered by the new change order.""

"Punctual. Informative. Friendly. Good work, excellent completion. Pleasing sight."

"My partner and I have had the pleasure of working with Dan, David and the hardworking crew at LB Construction & Remodeling for our what is now an extensive home restoration and renovation project. I cannot express how thrilled I am with the results thus far. From start to finish, their team demonstrated an unparalleled level of knowledge, speed, and attentiveness that truly exceeded my expectations. Truthfully, I didn’t know where to begin with my project, so I was very happy when Angi.com recommended LB. Dan responded quickly and was able to meet me at the house and walk the entire site with me. I had recently purchased my house and it needed extensive repair from years of water damage, including repair and replacement of the wood framing, installation of proper drainage, and foundation work. What truly set Dan and team at LB Construction & Remodeling apart was their willingness to help me hash out the details and various plans for our projects. Dan and David patiently worked with me to explore different options, providing valuable insights and recommendations based on their extensive experience, such as navigating permitting, advising on order of operation. This collaborative approach made me the decision-making process easier and less stressful as I had never done anything like this before. The speed at which LB Construction & Remodeling worked on my projects was truly impressive. They efficiently managed their time without compromising on the quality of their work. Every step of the way, it was evident that they were dedicated to completing the project promptly, ensuring minimal disruption to my daily life. Not to mention their attention to detail and commitment to quality craftsmanship were evident in every aspect of the projects, particularly with the reframing and painting. One of the standout qualities of LB Construction & Remodeling is their exceptional attentiveness. Dan consistently paid close attention to my needs and concerns, making me feel valued as a client. An example of this was when I communicated how I wanted the trim around the windows to look, both inside and out. I sent Dan pictures to illustrate what I was expecting, and he listened to me, verified specifics of my ideas, and walked me through how they would be able to achieve the look easily. Their work was seamless and they captured my vision perfectly. Right from the get-go we felt a sense of trust with Dan and team and that really helped make this entire process enjoyable. I wholeheartedly recommend LB Construction and Remodeling to anyone seeking a trustworthy and skilled team for their home improvement needs. I am eager to continue our other home projects with LB Construction & Remodeling in 2024."

"We had an amazing experience with Sigura Construction on our backyard transformation project. They did a fantastic job building a swimming pool, outdoor kitchen, landscaping with pavers, and custom lighting. The entire crew was incredibly professional, thorough, and efficient, delivering top-quality work from start to finish. Ilan, the owner, was outstanding—easy to communicate with, professional, and highly knowledgeable about all the options for our project. He made the entire process seamless and stress-free. Our backyard now looks absolutely stunning, and we’re thrilled with the results. We have complete peace of mind knowing the work was done by true experts. We highly recommend Sigura Construction to anyone looking for exceptional construction services. Thanks again to Ilan and the team for a job well done!"

"We hired Skytech Builders to renovate our kitchen and bathroom, and they sent Leo to manage the project. From the start, he was fantastic—an excellent communicator who really listened to our needs and took detailed notes during the entire consultation. Once we decided to proceed, Leo guided us through the material selection process, making everything run smoothly. Overall, it took about a month to plan and another month to complete the construction. We're thrilled with the results and will definitely reach out to them for our next project."

"Would not recommend them to anyone. We had the worst experience with these guys. Scope of project: kitchen complete remodel, replacing carpet flooring with vinyl tile flooring , redo electrical for kitchen area only cost: 100K+ what went to plan: - kitchen demo - made one nice dry wall - setting up and framing of the kitchen area what went wrong: - communication/scheduling : we would never be told ahead of time when work was being done. Sometimes there would be days stretches where no one showed up and then guys would show up randomly on a Sunday morning. At the start of the project we told them we were going to move into the back half of the house, so just have that clean. We moved into trash and debris everywhere. They also saw a vinyl strap , strapped to our tree, tied to our neighbor's fence (it was there keeping the fence up as the tree was leaning into the neighbors fence). In their brilliance, they decided to cut the strap and use it for themselves. How did we know? we found it on our roof, used to tie some electrical conduit. Who the heck does that?! We should've cut ties at that point, it was just the start...if we only knew. But we gave them the benefit of the doubt...but things kept going wrong. - Kitchen cabinet install was not leveled, we end up telling them to not bother coming back and we installed the whole kitchen ourselves (re-leveling the base cabinets, putting on the hardware, installing the cabinet doors. - broke several custom panels (to their credit, they did pay for the reorder) but we ended up installing it ourselves , which we were never offered refund the labor. - the kitchen counter was not leveled, we also had to redo it ourselves in order for the independent countertop guys to install it. - cut hole for electrical switch too big, huge gap now in our org Eichler panel that is not repairable unless we replace the whole wall. - cut hole in wood beam ceiling too big for ceiling vent even though they had the manufacturer's specifications. tried to fix it, but it looks terrible. - lied and said they had experience installing lux vinyl tile. They didn't. The flooring , which is supposed to be new, looks like flooring that has been there for years and hadn't been replaced. It was discolored, uneven, not leveled, and not even lined up. How can you mess up lining up squares? Our sales person Joe ,came and made excuses after excuses , telling us " no one can install it better than them" , that this is the "best" we'll get. I cannot believe he could look us in the face and say that. We ended up requesting 1500 back, though for us to reorder redo the tiles for the kitchen will be 3K+. - as a last F you to us, they gave us the bill for the permit fees which includes a 3% of project cost recycling deposit that is 100% refundable if they just do the paperwork and let the city know where they recycled the demolition material. Our kitchen project was 80K and so it was $2400. Guess what, they "never heard of this" and have no proof of where they recycled the material and so cannot get the refund. I have no idea where they dumped the material.....and we're out 2400. The best thing about this project is finishing and NEVER having to deal with them again."

"They did a good job!"

"From the first consultation to the last walkthrough, the Bay Remodeling Kitchen & Bath team provided exceptional service. They remodeled our kitchen and laid new flooring throughout our house. Every step of the process was expertly and meticulously handled. They answered all of our questions, kept us informed, and ensured we were happy with the result. The quality of their work speaks for itself, therefore we're happy we chose them for our makeover."

"Kept in touch while I planned everything. Quick and efficient! Will be contacting them for projects in the future"

"An Absolute Dream – Our Custom Indoor & Outdoor Kitchens Working with Darco Construction was an absolute dream! From start to finish, their team brought an incredible level of craftsmanship, professionalism, and attention to detail to our project. We wanted a modern, high-end indoor kitchen that felt sleek and functional, and Darco delivered beyond our expectations. Every detail—from the custom cabinetry and luxury finishes to the seamless integration of top-tier appliances—was executed with precision. But what truly sets them apart is their work on our outdoor kitchen. We envisioned a space that felt like an extension of our home—perfect for entertaining while offering the durability needed for an outdoor setting. They created a stunning, fully equipped space with custom stone countertops, a high-end grill station, built-in refrigeration, and ambient lighting that makes it feel like a private resort. Throughout the process, the communication was outstanding. Darwin, Larissa, and the entire team kept us informed, guided us through key decisions, and ensured that everything was done to the highest standard. Their commitment to excellence and thoughtful design made all the difference. If you’re looking for a top-tier contractor who can bring your dream home projects to life, look no further than Darco Construction. We couldn’t be happier with our custom indoor and outdoor kitchens!"