Paladin Home

This is my second time working with Mike after a previous bathroom/laundry room renovation in our old house. During the pandemic we decided to buy a larger home in Alameda in our desired neighborhood. What we initially thought would be a substantial renovation of a 1915 “fixer upper” home ended up being a complete gut. I interviewed a number of contractors that either refused to bid, gave us disingenuously high bids, or were booked out for the year. I'd kept in touch with Mike and asked if he would bid. Although a complete home renovation is larger than his usual projects of kitchens/bathroom remodels he agreed and I’m so thankful he was willing to take on our project. Prior to the interior renovation starting he was able to provide us with excellent recommendations for foundation and roofing contractors. Once the interior renovation began, he created a detailed schedule for keeping the work on track. He seamlessly scheduled specialized vendors (painting, stucco, heating system, etc) to work in tandem with his team. He spent time getting multiple bids for many aspects of the project to make sure they were within budget. He could have shrugged and said “it costs what is costs” but exercised due diligence to make sure we were getting a good value. Much of the detail work he oversaw and did himself and as others have noted he is onsite every day. He is excellent at troubleshooting and has a great aesthetic sense and an eye for detail. If something didn’t look right or he wasn’t happy with how a vendor had done something, he would redo it himself. Mike stands behind his work and I know I can still reach out to him if something goes wrong or to get his opinion. After living in the house for awhile, it's normal to notice things that can use some tweaking. Mike has come back to make those little adjustments that make a big difference, and is always generous with his time. I cannot recommend him enough and would absolutely hire him again in the future.

This is our third home renovation project with Mike in 4 years – and we still can’t find anything bad to say about him, his crew, or his work. Our gazebo, built by a previous owner who was possibly on mushrooms when it was designed (no judgment) was a non-standard rectangle with a two-level roof – until the upper level blew off in the major 2022 New Year’s Eve storm. Our original “repair” plan was to buy a new one online & have it assembled but couldn’t find anything to fit the space. I called Mike for advice; he checked it out and advised me that the roof could probably be repaired for a small cost. I appreciated his thinking about my budget and not pushing unnecessary work, but the truth is I wanted to take the opportunity to get rid of the ugly, poorly-designed flat section. Squirrels liked to hang out on it and torment my dogs, and I was never sure what the neighbors hated more, the barking or my yelling at them to stop barking. I decided rebuilding was the best option. The only problem? Mike was scheduling 18 months out: he was in the middle of a major home renovation project and had a couple bathrooms/kitchens scheduled after that was completed. We didn’t care; I zip-tied the roof back on and we waited until it was our turn on his list. Some people might have tried to find another contractor, but we’d been down that road. Other contractors either don’t want “small” jobs or have multiple projects going & aren’t on site to supervise quality every day, or just plain don’t show up for days or weeks at a time. Not Mike – he is the opposite of those things: his crew are employees, he is on site doing work himself, and if there is a rare day they won’t be working he will let you know ahead of time. In addition to being super-reliable, he’s just a great guy to work with. It sounds weird, but we’re always a little sad when projects are completed because we love having him around. Mike is a creative problem-solver, which is critical in older Bay Area houses, where the only certainty in home renovation is hidden surprises once demo starts. His work is as solid as it is beautiful. There was another storm last night (tornado warnings in the Bay Area!!!) and not a thing in our new gazebo is out of place. Whether you are nervous about taking on your first home renovation project or jaded from being burned by past experience, Mike is your guy.

We highly recommend Paladin Homes as a business and Mike as a contractor. It's a daunting task to find someone to work on your house renovation, and it can feel overwhelming, especially if it's your first time. Contractors are high in demand in these days and it's hard to know who to trust or who will give you a fair price and quality work. It seems you'll get one or the other but seldom will you get two out of three. We were lucky that we got all 3 with Paladin Homes. In our research, the name that came up more than a few times was Paladin Homes, and Mike in particular. They worked on our full kitchen remodel of our almost 100-year old house that had a lot of challenges and Mike knew what to do. He's trustworthy, is hands on, responsive, does quality work and is an all around nice/cool/chill human being. They did an excellent job with our dream kitchen; we couldn't be more excited. We will definitely be using them for our next home renovation project!

We hired Mike Roman to remodel our two upstairs bathrooms and were not dissppointed! His professionalism and careful, detailed work were impressive. His communication was superb. He walked us through all parts of the project, gave us clear estimates of money and time, and let us know right away if any changes to the plans were needed. Every day he left the work area clean, dust-free, and always respected the fact that he was in our private home. We HIGHLY recommend him. We felt so fortunate that he was the man to do the job.

Mike just finished our kitchen renovation; the best way to sum up how he did is to quote some friends: “he’s a genius.” Three different friends said these same words. I’m not an employee or relative of Mike's. But as an experienced home-owner-renovator, I can genuinely say working with Mike was the best experience in every way. He is working on-site every day, and you don’t realize the importance of the owner’s presence unless you have a project where they aren’t. Trust me. TL;DR: Mike is reliable, responsible, contractor who works on-site every day. His laid-back manner will keep you calm through renovation projects (which strain marriages 100% of the time), saving you a fortune in avoided couples counseling. Old houses (our is 100+ years) are his specialty. His attention to detail and creative problem-solving when the unexpected occurs-mid project (also 100% guaranteed) are above and beyond any other remodeling project I’ve ever completed. He starts on time, finishes on time, is reasonably priced, and takes care with your home as if it was his own. Mike will recommend cost-effective, quality materials and fixtures as alternatives to the pricey stuff designers want to sell you. If you have pets in the house, he takes care to secure construction areas to keep them safe. Read on for specifics: We scheduled our renovation 6 months ahead of time, and Mike started exactly on time. Before demolition, Mike’s prep of the job site included installing protective zipper doors to keep the dust down. Despite his warning that it would be impossible to contain all dust, the zipper doors and air scrubber he ran every day allowed us to sleep in the bedroom (right off the construction area) every night. Mike’s genius and creativity really shine when unexpected things turn up (1000% guaranteed to happen during old house renovations). Not only does he have a solution for every surprise, his calm and assuring style (“don’t worry, we’ll figure it out) keeps homeowner stress down and marriages intact. Our new refrigerator was larger than the old one. When the old cabinets were gone, we uncovered a weird bump in the floor; the new fridge wasn’t going to fit. We’d either have had to remove it (more construction in another room) or get a smaller, apartment-sized fridge. Neither option was acceptable. Mike’s solution? Raise the floor and fabricate hardwood doorway transitions to even out adjacent floors. Our cats love to jump up on top of the kitchen cabinets, but none of the trim choices for our new cabinets were going to survive climbing kitties. Mike designed and built gorgeous molding with redwood trim that could (and does) hold the weight of a good-size cat. He also designed and installed a custom cat tree – no more window-blocking, carpet-covered tower. Mike took care to keep our pets safe by sealing up temporary holes, securing tools just in case a sneaky kitty got into closed-off rooms, and taking care to keep doors closed to ensure no one escaped.

I cannot recommend Mike highly enough. He was exceptionally organized and helped guide us through the permitting process for Alameda and coordinate with suppliers. I had not renovated a home before and Mike's patience and communication were invaluable in moving the project along. He gave excellent recommendations for sourcing materials that were high quality but still within budget, and was good about trouble-shooting issues that came up. He also gave great recommendations that improved on the original design (e.g., no-lip shower and vertical drain, double built in shelves in shower) and we loved the finished product. In the midst of the renovation he noted other issues with our house's existing infrastructure (e.g., a slow pipe leak under the house) that we were able to fix before they became a larger problem. When we sold our home this year to move to a larger one the renovated spaces were a major selling point and Mike's craftsmanship significantly added to the value of our house. I would absolutely hire Mike for another project in the future.

No one LOVES having a construction crew in their home, and yet! The first few days after Mike and his crew had completed our five-month project, we really missed them! Mike if funny, considerate and a great problem solver who goes above and beyond. He hires great people and treats them well which is so important when these people are going to be in your home day after day. We were thrilled with every part of the major remodel Mike did for us. He works so hard for his clients. After a long day on the job site, we would often get texts from Mike in the evening because he had been searching online for a product that would solve some challenge, or thinking about different ways to approach a problem. What impressed me the most, I think, is Mike's dedication to make sure we got what we really wanted, even if it meant more time and work on his part. For instance, when the light switches went in, according to the architect's plan that we had approved, I realized that it wouldn't be easy for me to turn lights on and off from inside the kitchen. He could have easily said, "Well, I gave you exactly what you asked for" and moved on. Instead, he pondered the wiring that had already put in and figured out a way to add another switch for me, without disrupting the finish work that had already been done. There were times that I changed my mind about something and asked him to redo it that I'm sure would be really frustrating for any contractor, but he was patient and understanding and put in the time to make sure we had no regrets. Mike was also generous with his expertise in areas that went beyond his responsibility. Our house is old, and items we needed for the remodel were nonstandard sizes. He helped us search, calling suppliers for us, sending us photos from stores and searching through web resources in the evenings, until we found the perfect item for each need. Mike even once found us an accessory he knew we had been looking for at a garage sale on a Sunday! I would call Mike first any time I have another home project, and wholeheartedly recommend Paladin Home to local friends. Big projects are not generally fun to live through, but Mike honestly made a lot of the days fun. Props also to his right-hand man Kevin, who not only does excellent work but brought me succulents from his yard to propogate and helped us recapture our unruly German Shepherd puppy when she got out.

This is the second large project we have had with Paladin Home. Mike Roman did excellent work all around and we would work with him again in a heartbeat. He is a true craftsperson and takes tremendous pride in his work. Everything was finished on schedule as he said it would be and Mike was open to suggestions and feedback every step of the way. We are very pleased with the results. Mike's design made excellent use of our small space - one which we use much more often now. I recommend Mike and Paladin Home very strongly and without reservation. You really could not make a better choice.

This is the second major project we did with Paladin Home. Mike Roman did excellent work all around. We were very pleased with the results and would work with Mike again in a heartbeat. He replaced our old deck with one that is far superior and used the space in our back yard much more efficiently. The privacy fences and pergola fit well with the deck and add to the overall design of our back yard space which is small. Mike checked in with us every step of the way and was open to feedback and suggestions as he went along. He is a true craftsperson and takes tremendous pride in his work. He finished everything on schedule just as he said he would. I recommend Mike very highly and without reservation.

We hired Mike Roman of Paladin Home for our master bath project. We chose Mike because he was highly recommended, responsive, and his contract was comprehensive and competitive. Our bathroom plan was pretty complicated and involved moving walls, new plumbing/electrical and a curbless shower room. Mike came up with creative solutions and was communicative during the process. He was detail-oriented, patient, and kept the workplace tidy. On top of everything, he was fun and easy to work with made sure we were happy with the results. We will definitely hire him for our future home projects.

How many people can say they really like their contractor and have become friends with this person? We can. Our renovation involved 3 bathrooms and updating room lights and switches throughout the house. Mike Roman is extremely knowledgeable about design, material options, brand quality, plumbing, electricity, product sourcing, building codes, permits, etc. etc. etc. His company, Paladin Home, employs a meticulous hard-worker who focuses on detail, especially when installing floor and wall tiles. Because of his many years of experience, Mike is able to offer solid opinions and alternatives when needed. He has good communication skills and constantly kept us abreast of any issues and of his progress. When a problem (like a vendor error) arose, instead of getting frustrated or upset, Mike was there with good solutions. At the end of each work day he cleaned the areas where he worked. His even temperament and great sense of humor made the entire remodeling process a whole lot easier to manage.

I hired Paladin Home to remodel my half master bathroom into a full master bathroom and I have to say I couldn’t be happier with the results. This was the first time that I have ever done any type of work with a contractor, but Mike Roman of Paladin Home was extremely patient, was able to make critical suggestions, and was able to listen to what I wanted and make it a reality. The existing bathroom was a horrid DIY bathroom with a clunky oak vanity with those huge globe back-stage type lighting with sink and a yellow toilet that was done back in the late 70s. We had always wanted to remove an exterior wall and use the connected shed to expand the bathroom into a full bath. As I mentioned, I have never done any type of remodel and was completely unprepared at the start date, but Mike was very patient and explained what I need to do for first steps. Mike helped us understand how the space could work. We closed off a door to the exterior shed, we resized a window, we added a tub with a rain shower fixture and a hand held shower, as well as a waterfall tub filler with a hand held shower. Michael was able to make my tile design work using five different types of tile. Great carerra style type for the shower area with something different to the niche. And two two types of glass tile over the vanity. Mike also guided me in determining the lighting, which included recessed lighting, vanity lighting, and a flush mount chandelier (my dream bath). All of the work was extremely high-quality. Mike also handled all of the exterior work and closed in the exterior door and resizing the window and putting up the new siding as well as painting it. Mike provided a clear proposal before the start and pricing was reasonable. He was careful to advise us when changes that we made to the plan resulted in changes to the cost. It was a great experience with Paladin Home and I love my bathroom. Mary Sproul Sent from my iPhone Sent from my iPhone I hired Paladin Home to remodel my half master bathroom into a full master bathroom and I have to say I couldn’t be happier with the results. This was the first time that I have ever done any type of work with a contractor, but Mike Roman of Paladin Home was extremely patient, was able to make critical suggestions, and was able to listen to what I wanted and make it a reality. The existing bathroom was a horrid DIY bathroom with a clunky oak vanity with those huge globe back-stage type lighting with sink and a yellow toilet that was done back in the late 70s. We had always wanted to remove an exterior wall and use the connected shed to expand the bathroom into a full bath. As I mentioned, I have never done any type of remodel and was completely unprepared at the start date, but Mike was very patient and explained what I need to do for first steps. Mike helped us understand how the space could work. We closed off a door to the exterior shed, we resized a window, we added a tub with a rain shower fixture and a hand held shower, as well as a waterfall tub filler with a hand held shower. Michael was able to make my tile design work using five different types of tile. Great carerra style type for the shower area with something different to the niche. And two two types of glass tile over the vanity. Mike also guided me in determining the lighting, which included recessed lighting, vanity lighting, and a flush mount chandelier (my dream bath). All of the work was extremely high-quality. Mike also handled all of the exterior work and closed in the exterior door and resizing the window and putting up the new siding as well as painting it. Mike provided a clear proposal before the start and pricing was reasonable. He was careful to advise us when changes that we made to the plan resulted in changes to the cost. It was a great experience with Paladin Home and I love my bathroom.

Mike was great to work with. He’s friendly, knowledgeable and very professional. The work started and ended on time. He was respectful of our condo neighbors and thoughtful about when to turn off the water. He had good suggestions. The workmanship is excellent. Very pleased with the whole process and finished result.

Working with Mike and his crew remodeling our kitchen was a great experience. We did a total remodel taking down a wall, new cabinetry, flooring, countertops and appliances. Mike is honest and forthright and very easy to work with, he is also personally on the job site every day. His bid for the work was fair and we are so happy to have worked with him. His finish work on molding, walls and trim is flawless. We were so happy with his work we hired him to remodel our laundry room and that too exceeded our expectations. We highly recommend Paladin home and will use them again in the future.

Mike, owner of Paladin Home, did a wonderful job on our bathroom! We had a rough idea of what we wanted and Mike was able to fill in the gaps and create a bathroom that was perfect for the time period of when our house was built (1915). Mike and his employees were professional, friendly and paid close attention to all of the details. They were extremely considerate knowing this was our only bathroom (and our first remodel) and worked with us to make the process very smooth and easy. The project was completed on time and on budget with a very high quality of workmanship. We highly recommend Paladin Homes for remodels and plan to use them again on future projects, especially for our kitchen remodel.

This was the second time we hired Mike, this time for a complete kitchen remodel down to the studs with new plumbing, electrical and everything. We can't say enough positive good things about Mike and his crew. The quality of work is top-notch, and the attention to the tiniest of details is outstanding. Mike takes things into consideration that we never even thought of, like how a piece of trim looks in different lighting. We are thrilled with how our kitchen turned out, and the experience went very smoothly and stck to a timeline. Mike does most of the work himself, which is awesome, and his two man crew members, Evelio and Paul, are very professional.

Outstandingly! Mike did beautiful work from start to finish. Great attention to detail and very knowledgeable about all aspects of the remodel. A creative problem solver when unexpected issues arose. I appreciated that he asked for my input at every stage of the remodel. Mike was very patient and easy to work with. His assistant, Evelio, was even more of a perfectionist and did a gorgeous job of tile installation. Mike kept our entire home as clean as is humanly possible during the remodel. We couldn't be more pleased.

I could not have asked for a better experience! I hired Mike because he cares about old homes - he has one himself. He likes to preserve anything he possible can, instead of just tearing out and replacing, which is how most contractors I spoke with operate. He cleaned up old hinges and my old, original medicine cabinet. My house was built in 1925. He gave great advice about my material purchases, and I really feel he has my best interests in mind. And such a personable guy, and honest and genuine as the day is long. I only have one bathroom and he did his best to make sure I had "facilities" as much as possible, which I really appreciated. He went above and beyond. And my once dingy dungeon of a bathroom is now bright and beautiful! I can't say enough good things. Would I hire him again? I already have - he's going to be doing my kitchen and will be my go-to guy for any future remodeling needs.

It was wonderful every step of the way. Mike is incredibly professional and responsive, talks the project through, and provides very accurate and reasonable estimates that he works within. He makes every effort to communicate and solicit feedback as the work is being done. Mike usually does only one project at a time so he is able to devote all of his time and energy to the tasks at hand. We have been very happy with all of his work and are sorry now that we have run out of projects for the time being - we would definitely hire Mike again and hope to do so in the future.

 Mike is great – very detail orientated and conscious of how you are going to use the space.  He's easy to work with, flexible about changes and genuinely wants you to be happy with the finished product.  We were very pleased with the remodel job that he did for us and would definitely hire him again.  He kept to the budget and original estimate, always careful to check in about any additional costs that came up.  He does much of the work himself and his team is also highly professional. 

1.  We relocated all the fixtures to maximize the space in the bathroom.
2.  Increased the shower size and installed all new subway tile as well as tile borders.
3.  Installed new slipper tub with victorian faucets.
4.  New marble floor tile.
5.  Soapstone for existing vanity as well as for bench in the shower.
6.  Installed new skylights which had to be reworked due to the different sizes of the interior windows.
7.  New electrical including chandelier.
 8.  New high powered exhaust fans. He also chose Victorian style cover plates

Mike is terrific!  He remodeled two bathrooms in my 87-year-old father's condo.  We discovered some issues when we removed the walls which he addressed extremely competently.  He was innovative in helping us figure out how to add a curbless shower to an area that wasn't designed for it.  His workers and subs are excellent, too. 

I can't say enough about Mike's communication skills and how much he cares.  We discussed every aspect of the project and he consulted us whenever changes were needed.  The results were excellent and we are extremely pleased.  In addition, he was very respectful and helpful to my dad. 

My dad was a real estate developer and I have done several renovations, so between us we have had lots of experience with contractors, not all of them positive.  Mike was absolutely one of the best we have worked with and we would highly recommend him.  We will definitely use him on future projects.

Mike was very easy to work with, he was always easy to get a hold of and promptly returned any missed calls or voicemails.  This was our first big home renovation project and Mike was very patient with us and explained everything thoroughly.  We felt very comfortable with him and his crew, they were very mindful about containing the mess involved as much as possible.  Mike stayed on the schedule he lined out in the contract even when we added or made changes as the project evolved. Mike also has a great eye for design and gave us several welcome recommendations on lighting and tile choices. We are so happy with our bathroom and would not hesitate to call Mike again when we are ready for our next project.

It went really well. As the old rotten deck was demolished he made sure that my children were kept safe by using caution tape, picking up nails and removing the old wood quickly away from the house. There was more damage than initially thought and he was upfront immediately amount the additional support the deck would need and the increase in the estimated cost of the project. Mike was there at our house everyday the deck was being worked on. He had additional men as needed. The deck turned out beautifully.

The remodel went very well. Everything was done on time and finished per the contract. Michael managed the whole job. The quality of the work was excellent. The subcontractors provided on the job were excellent professionals. I am extremely happy with the way that everything turned out. I would highly recommend him.