HDR Remodeling Inc.

HDR did an amazing job. The guest bathroom was straightforward (replaced tile, flooring, cabinetry, fixtures), while the master suite was a bit more complex, involving the addition of a dormer to increase the size of the bathroom and add a walk-in closet. The end product is absolutely beautiful, but what I am even more impressed by is the overall level of service provided by HDR. The HDR employees greeted my 2 and 4-yr old boys with a wave and smile each morning, they were always respectful and accommodating of our needs, and they insured a very high level of quality in all the work they did and oversaw. I recommend them without any hesitation and would definitely hire them again for future work.

After interviewing a few other companies, HDR was an easy choice. Aside from the convenience and peace of mind that a design build company offers, HDR was a no brainer for us, for other reasons as well. First of all, you can't meet more friendly, trust-worthy people to work with. For us, this was important, since the workers spend so much time in your home. From start to finish, Philip, the owner was involved. He even came to our weekly progress meetings at our house, with the project manager. Our lead designer, Kevin, listened to our proposed concept and made it happen. When we had other last minute ideas, he offered his opinions on how to make it work, while keeping us on budget. This was especially key for me! Chris, the project manager, was a pleasure to work with. He was patient, kind and the ultimate problem solver. Alfredo, our construction manager, did impeccable work. To say that we love our new space is an understatement. The craftsmanship and quality is obvious and it turned out just as we hoped. Thanks, HDR!

HDR was very helpful in the design process and listened to my ideas and concerns. The remodel "went down to the studs": my electrical and plumbing were updated and the kitchen is now insulated. The space is warmer, brighter and so much more functional.

When our friend referred us to HDR, he said that it wouldn't be the least expensive option but that HDR would (a) finish when it had originally projected to finish, (b) cost no more than what it originally said it would cost, and (c) keep an eye out for any details that needed to be fixed during and at the end of the project, and these were the things that were most important to us in what we knew would likely be a pretty stressful experience.  We found all of these things to be true.  We used HDR for the full project, from design to construction.  Although there were a few hiccups and issues during the design process, the idea of switching our dining room and kitchen was HDR's, and that design solved all of the problems we were seeking to address.  To this day, the new layout is more than we had hoped for.  And, from the beginning of the process of the actual construction until the end, HDR really excelled.  Many of our friends had gone through kitchen and bath remodels, and we heard various versions of nightmarish scenarios.  But our project manager, Chris, managed our expectations, was very responsive when things caused stress, and ensured that things kept on track.  During the project, we noticed a little "bubble" in the stucco of our exterior front wall.  It turned out to require removing and replacing all of the stucco on that wall, which in turn caused us to replace over 20 windows throughout the house.  HDR handled that, and still finished the entire project when they had originally indicated they would.  Also, to the extent that any small details arose and needed to be address after the project was completed, HDR has always been very responsive in returning to address the issues -- without ever suggesting that the return visits required additional expenses.  In all, we were very happy with HDR and will definitely use them again.

Amazing. Came in on time (actually early) and on budget. Our house is a completely different (much better) place to live, with living spaces we didn't know were possible. We're very happy.

We made a great decision in choosing HDR!

With both of us working full-time, we knew that we needed to find a company that was reputable and could manage all aspects of the project.  Lucky for us we found HDR, a design/build firm, to handle everything from beginning to end.  We started with a thorough design phase which lasted nearly 4 months and though lengthy, I'm so glad we did it that way; having the majority of decisions made in advance really took the surprise element out of the construction phase and we were able to really nail down the budget as a result.  As with all old houses, you don't know what you're going to find once you get behind the walls, but luckily for us our contingency was more than enough to deal with the various problems that popped up (e.g., wiring, dry rot, bad sub-flooring). 

HDR also handled all of our permitting and inspections throughout the project.  They were especially helpful when we encountered a sticky situation with our next door neighbor who didn't want us to build the deck for fear it would compromise their view.  Kevin, HDR's architect, was extremely helpful by altering the design and working with the neighbor directly to come to a solution that would work for both of us.

HDR was very communicative through the entire project - we met every Friday morning to talk about what had happened that week and what was coming up, and they were responsive to our concerns.  The subs were all top notch and the HDR carpenters were excellent. I have zero complaints about the quality of the work - I love our house again!

As with any remodeling effort, we had our ups and downs  (we lived downstairs with our large dog for the duration of the project, adding something extra to the experience).  The construction phase lasted about 5 months, which is plenty of time to be frustrated, annoyed, and just tired of having people in your house.  But I can say today that we're happier than we've ever been here and that the 9 months we spent with HDR were entirely worth it.  We're so happy, in fact, that we're already talking about having them back next year to remodel the rest of the house.

I continue to work with them and am quite happy with the experience

The project went very smoothly.  Lead carpenter Michael Meeks was very considerate in terms of keeping the dust and fumes to the minimum (we were not able to move out of the house while the work was going on), and did an absolutely beautiful job with the wallboard, the cabinet clean-up and painting, and the overall painting and wall repair -- could not have asked for a better job.  Likewise the electrical crew and the tile crew, came when they were scheduled, did the work in less time than we expected, did a beautiful job (particularly the tile, which was a tricky set of cuts and types -- superb installation), and left us with a kitchen that works better than the old one ever did.  I will certainly have them do my next project.

HDR gutted the existing bathroom fixtures in my small 5 x 9 bathroom.  They did an excellent job in removing all debris from the site and continually kept the house clean and free of debris.  They kept to the one month schedule and informed me along the way with any issues, color changes, delays etc.  This is the 5th project with them, 2 for work and 3 for myself, so I was confident that things would be done right, on budget and on time.  The extensive planning paid off as things went smoothly at each turn, as there was more to be considered with a condo e.g. electrical.  The bathroom is fully up to code with proper lighting, switches and heater. When the planning went in another direction (my choices), they easily switched gears and followed my ideas instead of insisting on their own. The result came out with a clean up to date look, modern fixtures with a sense of the limitations of the size of the room.  Its all in the details and they followed it to a "T".  I am sure I could have found someone to do the work for less, but not with the same quality, and trust for getting things done correctly the first time without cutting corners and looking like a less than perfect job.  Their professional approach is tops in my book and after the 3rd project (kitchen, hallway cabinets and bath) I regret that there is nothing left to be done!  As a example of how they approach things, the new toilet seat broke and they came the next day with a new one without any questions.  I would recommend them whole heartily for any project large or small.

Overall, we were very happy with HDR.  Phillip was very easy to work with and very professional.  The work was completed on schedule and came in on budget.  On this note, the initial bid was a bit on the expensive side, but we felt they did a lot of early investigation to give an accurate bid, and we finished this project paying exactly what we expected to pay.  We had one repair unrelated to their work that became apparent only after they completed work, but HDR handled it quickly with minimal additional cost, and we are very happy with the outcome.  HDR was professional and timely in completing all aspects of the work--design, permitting, and construction--and we would definitely work with them again on a project, big or small.

I kicked them out after the mess with the skylights. Experienced leaks afterwards and had to get it repaired by a professional

HDR Remodeling a Honey Do Repair company made it just like new, better than it was at first. The price, punctuality, and professionalism were fantastic. I would definitely use HDR Remodeling a Honey Do Repair company again.

They have been really pathetic. I have used them before to redo the corner of my house because of dry rot and some other big jobs like gutter repair. Phillip is the best, he is a good mediator, and is very professional. He isn't the one who does the work, he hires contractors. He tried to make good. The price came out to be way more than what I expected and they didn't keep me posted on the amount of money we talked about. I asked him how much we were up to and the next day the amount had doubled so he didn't keep me posted as we went along. The wood they used to rebuild the drawers was bad. If he would have asked me what kind of wood I wanted him to use to rebuild the drawers, instead of using that splintery plywood, I would have been happier. I wouldn't recommend them and they didn't listen.

We just completed a bathroom remodel with HDR Remodel and we are so happy with both the finished product and the experience. This was our first remodeling project/experience and they really guided us through it. Jim provided great design advice, and was very patient about providing us choices that worked with our budget. He offered lots of great suggestions along the way but always let us make the final decision, and never pressured us one way or the other. Jim was even completely understanding when I decided to contract out the frameless shower door myself to a glass company since they could do it cheaper. Other than the shower door, his team took care of ordering all the materials and coordinating the work.

Before construction started, Philip made sure to spell out how they would access the house, how they would contain the area to minimize exposure of dust/dirt to the rest of the house, and asked us to share any concerns/apprehensions that we had so they could do their best to address/prevent them. We really appreciated this upfront discussion to set expectations, and they really went above and beyond them. Guillermo did most of the construction work and was fantastic. Throughout construction, all the workers were very respectful and tried to minimize disturbance to our daily lives, while still providing regular updates on progress or any issues. It was fun to come home each day and see how the bathroom was coming along. We felt we were in good hands the entire time, the job was well-coordinated, and the finished bathroom looks fantastic. Of course the price was more then I initially had hoped to spend (but isn't that always the case), but the finished bathroom was completed within the agreed upon contract price and on-schedule. I believe you and quot;get what you pay forand quot; and the quality of the work really shows.

During the design phase of the bathroom project, I had also asked if they could also do a few odd-job repairs around the house. They sent over a carpenter who rebuilt a lattice wall and an old, rotting utility meter/crawl space cover that were falling apart. I really have to commend him on the meter cover, which was awkwardly built originally to say the least. The new design that he came up with was much more robust, and a pest control guy that was at our home several weeks later even noticed it and remarked on how nicely built it was. Prior to this I had called a and quot;handymanand quot; service whose flyer I had gotten in the mail to give an estimate for this job, and his description of what he would do was very vague and I could tell he wasn't quite sure how he would do it, so it really made me appreciate the work that he did all the more!

I called up Philip Anderson of HDR, and asked him if he would be willing to paint movie screen on side of builiding in exchange for some publicity for a wonderful community building Center Street Summer Cinema where we are showing movies for free in Downtown Berkeley. Philp said he would love to help out, and was extremely responsive is visiting the site and scoping the project, and then scheduling the completion of a qualtiy job by his team. Many many thanks for your professional quality work on community project.

It went very well overall and the finished product is great. They were very professional, punctual and did quality work. All the paperwork was in order. There was one main worker and lots of sub-contractors were used and they were all great. Jim the designer was great to work with, very meticulous and atuned to what I wanted. Philip stayed on top of the construction phase. The total length of construction went longer than planned, as is true for most remodeling projects, but I think it left them a little short on funds which they tried to make up for by over-charging to finish the painting. Only partial painting was included in the contract which was kind of silly after all that work. This caused stress in an otherwise good relationship with them. I suspect that many contractors may leave a few holes or flexible areas in the scope of work in case the job ends up costing them more than anticipated and so they have places they can make up the funds with change orders. Read your contract carefully! When I originally got estimates, their price was somewhat higher than others but I do think I got what I paid for in attention to detail, thoroughness, good planning, staying on the job until completion, quality work and dependability.

It went well as the contractor/owner was onsite more often than not, and was responsive/thoughtful regarding all our needs. We met almost weekly for lunch to go over plans. He thought of myriad things we had not considered as we have two very small children. He had an inside design person who drafted plans for kitchen and baths before we even got started. That person was also very agreeable to work with. We had many meetings onsite and off before a total plan was put together. We accomplished a good bit of our communication back and forth via email as I was living 33 miles (and a bridge away) from the home and he was in Berkeley. Originally our contractor was recommended to us from a co-worker and his wife who had done some light remodeling in their townhome. As a San Franciscan I was very hesitant to hire anyone given the state of affairs in that city between building owners and contractors. I had never done a total remodel and had only hired contractors piecemeal for different individual projects. Our project took about three and one half months and our budget was declining rapidly due to gyrations in the stock market, so we had to continually cut back on the cost of materials and customization. HDR was very flexible and made many of the money saving suggestions that we needed to complete the job. We moved into our home on March 28 and a week later it was evident that the original sewer line was not going to survive much longer. So not wanting to put our new floors at risk, we asked HDR for references and they asked if they could bid on the work and I found the estimate to be quite reasonable as we knew how deep the line was. We've had not one lick of trouble since the line was replaced. We will have HDR back out to do other projects when we're fully funded again.

I've contracted with HDR for a number of tasks in my house. These included in previous years replacing the pavement in the deck, remodeling the bathroom, and laying a new floor in the kitchen, to the work described above this year. Each time we go through the estimate and what's included and what's not included; and we agree on what I can expect as the end product, issues which may arise, and the scheduling. I've found the work done in-line with what the estimate and the discussion, and have been pleased with it. They don't leave the place a mess, and take care to be sure that I am satisfied with the work. Where issues have arisen, I have called Leslye or Phil, and both have been very responsive.

They arrived on time and did what they were hired to do. The estimates for additional work were too high.

It took them so long to do some of the work that we stopped them halfway through the second project. The caulking was done sloppily and we had to have someone else redo it. We talked to honey do and they said that they would send someone else out to fix it, but it was going to take too long so we hired somebody else. We were going to have them replace the shower door, but they were charging a lot more than other companies, and were going to take a lot longer. He was more interested in talking to us than working. He seemed unmotivated.

Maurice came on time. He was professional and friendly. He did a complete inspection and totally cleaned the fireplace and his work area up. He had some maintenance recommendations, and showed me with a flashlight what they were. He wrote up a proposal for the repairs I needed but did not hard sell it. He just let me know how to make my chimney and fireplace better and safer.

When I was shown the estimate of $700, I thought it must be a more complicated job than I had imagined. The painter took a total of 35 minutes to actually paint. When I contested the charge, the owner said, "Well, you signed the estimate so you pay it."

When I called them, they let me know promptly of their $100/hour charge, 2 hour minimum, and scheduled a visit for a week later. Two handymen, one experienced and one apprentice, appeared a few minutes prior to the scheduled time. The exterior door required unusual attention, as it needed to be cut to fit in the existing jamb. We are quite happy with the result. The drywall task was performed according to our stipulations. According to our real estate agent, a fair price was charged for the work performed. We were somewhat surprised that the charge for the apprentice was almost as much as for the experienced man. Both men were polite, courteous, and competent.

The person who did the work was Larry Cucci, and he was excellent. A very nice guy who does very good work. The price may be a bit high ($100/hr, 2 hr min), but I don't really know what typical hourly rates are. It's worth the cost though, to have competent work carefully done. The company itself seems to be quite honest and fair. For any future carpentry/handyman work, I will definitely use this company, and will definitely request that they send Larry Cucci.

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