T James Construction

In 2018 we hired Todd and his team to replace a multi-story wooden deck at the rear of our house, a very challenging project that ended up exceeding all of our expectations. We recently had a second child and needed to remodel the lower story of our split level house in Oakland in order to make the space more usable, and luckily we were able to hire Todd again during a break between other jobs. The project ended up being much bigger than we initially thought, but Todd was just as professional, honest and communicative as he had been during our previous project and provided updated cost estimates as we added more scope to the project. His two-man team of experienced carpenters, Forrest and Osman, were a pleasure to work with again and were on site every day to coordinate the small army of subcontractors (insulation, stucco, electricians, plumbers) who worked on the house. Forrest and Osman's craftsmanship is truly impressive and they always went the extra mile to accommodate our requests. Our new living space is a dream come true, and we're very happy that we had the opportunity to work with Todd again. I'd recommend T James Construction for any home improvement project.

Amazing work and attention to detail... Great guys to have working on our new build

His crews were punctual, skilled, pleasant and willing to answer our questions and to address our concerns. Todd was responsive to our e-mails and calls. He also provided the names of surveyors and engineers to assist with the project. The county just signed off on the project and we are pleased with our new deck.

We purchased an older home in Trestle Glen a few years back knowing that at some point we'd either have to move or bite the bullet and replace the old, worn out rear deck. After putting aside some money we started calling up contractors, and from the moment we met Todd we knew were going to be in good hands. He's been extremely responsive via text and email and was a pleasure to work with throughout the course of our four-month project. This job was particularly tough due to the tight street access and severely downsloped lot. Todd and his crew had a tough job to pull off, but their craftsmanship and attention to detail is amazing to see in the finished product. The scope of services included pouring a rebar reinforced grade beam with 8' drilled footings (during a very wet March) and erecting a three-story ~700 sq ft deck with stairs and a landing, all at about 40' below street level. Todd showed a huge amount of patience during the drawn-out owner-builder permitting process (Oakland zoning laws are no joke!) and with the bombproof, slightly overdesigned drawing set prepared by our structural engineer. The site was kept clean and the extremely professional and talented two-man crew who pulled this off (Forrest and Osmond) were as unobtrusive as they could be while drilling holes through the exterior of our house. We've had a great experience overall and I'd hire him and his crew for any home improvement project! P.S. -- the attached photo is from the last week of work before cleanup so don't mind the sawhorses.

It went great. The solution to the problem was efficient and had a minimal impact on the appearance of the garage. The work was done quickly and the two men doing the work were punctual, polite, and professional.

Todd's team did an excellent job building our deck. The quality of their work is excellent and the deck looks fantastic. They completed the job in a timely manner. We found Todd to be knowledgeable, trustworthy and reliable. He's also a nice guy and very easy to work with, as were his workers. We wouldn't hesitate to recommend or hire Todd (T James) and his team again for construction work. We also used the structural engineer Todd recommended to prepare the engineering plans, and that process went very smoothly too.

It looks great.

We hired T. James Construction for a large and complicated deck replacement. Of course, once we demolished the old, there were surprises relating to the structural integrity of our home, and the crew was able to quickly and expertly communicate and address the repairs. There were no problems with the crew's ability to work with our architect and structural engineers, hired separately by me (the homeowner). The quality of work is exceedingly excellent; even the seen and unseen structural aspects of the project were done with precision. On-par with the finished product, his crew were all absolute pleasures to work with and have around during the 8 month project. We have two small kids, so we appreciate how kind everyone was to them, and aware of their safety. The job site was cleaned up every day (broom clean), all tools were put away, and materials / debris carefully dealt with. You could set your watch to their arrival and start time; incredibly communicative, consistent and per-agreement. I rated pricing as a "B" because T. James is not inexpensive; but you do get what you pay for on all accounts. We are thrilled with the finished product and expect many years of enjoyment. We have recommended his company to several neighbors, and will continue to do so.

We only met with him twice. He was responsive and seemed very professional.

After looking at 4 or 6 bids, we decided to go with T.James after meeting some of his previous customers and looking at the work they did in their homes. We were very impressed with the high quality work and their comments regarding their experiences with the company. Although their price was not the highest of the 6 bids, they were in the top third but seemed reasonable considering the high quality work and general customer satisfaction. The only negative was they were the last to submit a bid but spent a quite a bit of time reviewing our property so delay made sense.

I have used Todd Oliver before in my bedroom and bathroom remixes and he and his crew provide excellent workmanship. I would recommend his service.

I'd give them an A overall and I'd give them a recommendation if any people are to ask.

There are nearly always some unexpected issues that are encountered in construction project and, in our case, they were handled and resolved satisfactorily. The employees and subcontractors were all conscientious and competent and offered sensible guidance. They comfortably conferred with us when appropriate and worked independently, exhibiting good judgement throughout. They all were sensitive to the dust and disorder and took measures to minimize both. The communication and responsiveness to our questions, concerns and preferences were excellent. We are very pleased with our new bathroom.The transformation is amazing.

It went smoothly.  They did a good job.

Impeccable, exquisite work; the best contractor I?ve worked with in my many remodels. T. James is just now completing a major remodel at the home where I live and work so I had months of day-long interaction with Todd and  his crew.  These are very considerate people and very skilled craftsmen.  Todd was a breeze to work with throughout, flexible, accommodating, attentive to all the details while ensuring that the work be done as quickly as possible at a rate I consider a bargain given what other contractors had bid.  Cale, the foreman for my job is a master, overseeing a first class crew.  Come take a look at the work. Though the project was more practical than luxury-oriented, the precision gives the whole house real class.  I highly recommend these guys, and am glad I discovered them here on Angie?s list.

He brought in very good subcontractors. He is very responsive. The cost will be over $100,000. The price has been reasonable for the amount of work.

So far I liked him very much.  He's very friendly, clear, honest and honorable.  I can already tell that he and I have become friends.  I don't think we are just on a carpenter and client relationship because we've already made a nice personal connection.  He seems to price fairly.  He won the bids though they were informal bids but he undercut the prices of others.  We've gone through the laborious process of getting the project committed and using his architect who has been very efficient, accommodating and a real straight shooter.  I'm pleased so far.  I haven't seen the quality of the workmanship yet.

Based on previous satisfactory experience, and our existing travel plans,  most work was accomplished while ne were traveling..  Upon our return and inspection, we determined all work was completed per our agreed contract, the work site was spotless and no unreeled issues were observed.  Since much of the work utilized two subcontractors (paint and roofing) we were very pleased that all work was finished without any involvement on our par.
I saw Todd socially a few weeks ago, and although he is currently committed on two very large projects in the area, he indicated he could accept a third project for me at my convenience ( which I will happily commence soon).
I wouls recommend T James Construction for any project, large or small,l without reservation.

The project has gone very well, still in the midst, but because my experience has been so good, I felt the need to share my comments.  Because my son and I planned on  living through the remodel of a 1948 original ranch home, I wanted to find a contractor who I could trust, and one who would work with me and take in consideration my budgetary limitations and my design ideas.   Although not ideal for the company, Todd agreed to do the project in steps, completing certain rooms first, to help us continue to live in the home while the remodel was happening.  My master bath and powder bath are complete and look fabulous; the quality of the work is excellent and Todd, the owner, was open to listening to any and all of my concerns and comments during the remodeling process.  Additionally, as you can imagine, having a high degree of order was important, and his crew has provided this, leaving the work site each day very tidy.  He has a wonderful crew, and his lead foreman, Forrest, is unbelieveably relable, professional, and demonstrates strong carpentry skills.  I not only can trust Toidd, but so too his entire crew.
As I stated the project is not fully completed but my experience in the middle of this project is as good as it was in the beginning.  Todd and his crew are reliable, trustworthy, and very skilled.  My experience is that Todd is accomodating and becomes a real partner with the homeowner, sincerely taking pride in his work and a sense of care for his customers.   Everyday I look forward to seeing what progress has taken place, and I am so excited to see the finished home. More to come!

After talking to a few other architects and general contractors, we selected T James Construction (and an architect) for a remodel based on their experience, our sense that they understood what we were looking for and competitive pricing. In retrospect, we are very glad that we chose Todd and Scott (architect) but the rest of the review will focus on Todd's work. Todd (and his crew) were very professional. From a technical perspective, the crew was very skilled (I always got a sense that when they did things a certain way, it was for a good reason and, if there was a choice, they would consult with us).They were also very easy (and nice) to work with. Whenever unforeseen things (problems) came up, they offered suggestions. On many instances, they went above and beyond the call of duty. Todd managed the work closely and kept us informed. Throughout the work, Todd made arrangements to have leftover materials hauled off (trying to to be eco-friendly) and, in the end, he hired a professional cleaner to clean the site, which was a very nice touch.  Overall, we were extremely satisfied with the outcome of the project and we enjoyed working with Todd and his crew so, when the need arises, will definitively call on him again. Thanks, Todd & crew !

Before hiring Todd, we checked out other similar work he had done in our neighborhood (Todd arranged the tour for us).  The design of the deck  was done by an independent architect that Todd recommended.   We found  Todd to be one of the most responsive craftsmen with whom we have worked.  He was incredibly prompt and thorough (and patient) in responding to our myriad emails and phone calls.  The work went generally well, despite weirdly atypical intermittent rain, which necessitated a lot of stop and start.  Todd's crew was hard-working and nice (although they did require a fair amount of oversight by Todd).  The completed deck was wonderful...pretty much everything we asked for.  As compensation for the delays in work, Todd even built a little bridge over a backyard creek for us out of the salvaged lumber from the old deck.  All in all, we really enjoyed working with Todd--he's a funny, good-natured, and competent builder who does good work at competitive prices.

I recently inherited an old run-down house in Berkeley.  The house required quite extensive repair and remodeling.  I was faced with the daunting task with finding a contractor and getting it done.  Through Angie?s List, I contacted Todd with T James Construction.  After a number of conversations, we put together a strategy for tackling the job.  The project was broken up into three phases:  foundation and earthquake retrofitting, structural repair (replace windows, repair stucco, replace roof, upgrade electricity) and finally, everything else which was quite an extensive list including: remodeling a bathroom, refinishing the floors, repairing balcony, installing wrought iron railings and numerous other tasks.
The foundation and earthquake retrofitting was completed by Dec 2011 and was previously reviewed (All A?s!)
The second phase of work took longer than expected and unfortunately, more budget.  While preparing to install new windows, they discovered extensive rot and had to rebuild a good third of the house. 
The final phase included a remodeled bathroom which is beautiful, and exactly what I wanted.  They were able to salvage the original oak floors and they were refinished to a warm glow. 
Todd is very easy to talk to and was always available (even after hours) for questions, advise, coaching, cheerleading and therapy.  He has assembled a crew that is very talented, professional and polite.  Each one, Cale, Mark, Forrest and Omar bring their own specialties.  They are very hard working and take pride in their jobs.  Each day, they left the work areas clean and in order.  They also were made themselves available to discuss details and answer any questions.
 I think the thing that impressed me the most was the finished details.  Both Cale and Mark are artists in their own right.  As a finish carpenter, Cale added moldings and details which elevated the final result.  The wrought iron railings that Mark constructed are exquisite, adding an elegance to the house.
During a project of this scope, there were bound to be set backs and changing priorities. Each was dealt with practical solutions,
openness and a bit of humor!
I lived in the house during the construction.  Todd and his crew were very patient and sensitive to my space and while next to impossible, they tried to keep the disruption to a minimum. 
The end result is that I have a beautiful house.  It turned out better than I could have imagined.  I am looking forward to a
continued relationship with Todd and his crew to complete renovations.

Todd and his crew finished the job in the exact amount of time he originally estimated for the project. While the job was fairly straight forward, there was only one very basic and totally understandable change order (installing insulation where it was revealed to be moldy). Todd and his crew are communicative--facile with phone, text and email. Todd gave regular updates on the project and ample lead-time regarding plumbing and electrical shut-offs. They arrived at the same time every day, worked consistently, and stopped work each day on time. Todd was on time and fully present for each inspection. He also worked closely with the engineer with whom he had never met and who reported being very pleased with Todd's work. Todd and his crew are personable and professional. Finally, they
left the work spaces at least as clean as they were originally. We're very happy we chose T. James Construction.

Overall, the experience of dealing with this company was very good.

I approached T. James Construction based on clearly outstanding Angie's List reviews.  It tunred out that owner Todd Oliver and I  had metearlier  through mutual friends.  Initially his schedule precluded considering this project, but about 6 weeks after our first contract that changed.  During that period he had advised me on things to consider so when he asked if he could submit a bid, I was delighted because I had developed confidence that we could work well together.  (Prior to my retirement I had managed comparable projects for my employer, and found this contract  far and away the most satisfying and enjoyable personal and professional experience to date.)
Todd's bid was comprehensive and competitive.  His many local references were highly favorable and in my view understated the quality of the work perfomed here. 
The quality of work performed and attention to detail was astonishing and his crew were a real delight to work with, both personally and professionally.  As examples, where new work met existing work, existing work was planed, filled, and textured so that once primed, there was no perceptible transition from old to new. To replace the original solid deck rail, I had suggested a verticle louver which Todd refined and his crew fabricated, which my wife and I believe enhanced the exterior appearance of the house while visually opening the interior without any loss of privacy, and at minimal additional cost. The uprights for the railing were installed inside a 4-sided boxed frame which I had never seen before, resulting in rock solid railings. The work site was always maintained in a spotless condition both at the end of the workday and upon completion of the job.
(During the 7-8 week duration of this project, my wife and I were out of the country 3 weekson a long-planned trip.  I had no reservations in giving Todd access the house.)
Additional work required by conditions discovered during the project was always discussed with me before proceeding and was billed at what I feel was a more than reasonable cost.
Our experience has been highly satisfactory.  I can recommend T. James Construction without reservation.  We expect to continue with some larger projects after the first of the yea.r