Azteca 111 Builders Inc

As usual - from a small to large job - Rick's team is fast, efficient, and totally professional. They always go the extra mile to ensure that they fully understand what the customer is asking for, and help to identify solutions for any problems that might come up during the process. I have always been extremely satisfied with the work that Rick's team does.

I let them know in advance that the project was very small, and was very clear with them that it was a small job. They said that they would do it even though they typically only do larger projects. He came out and said they would have someone to fix it the next day. I waited and they never showed up. I called and they said they would have someone out the next day, and again no one showed up. I would have appreciated it they have had at least called to let me know that they could not come. I left a $300 mailbox sitting out for three days and no one showed up. I have used them in the past and was happy with them then, but was frustrated that they couldn't even communicate with me that they were not willing to do the work. To not show and not call was very unprofessional, and I will not consider using them again.

Azteca showed up for the estimate as scheduled. They were great with follow up in scheduling the installation date - quick response. They showed up within an hour of the time scheduled - with a call that morning on their arrival time. Rick had a good crew to perform the work. They cleaned and vacuumed out my attic first before installing the insulation. Very organized and clean up was excellent.

We liked Rick and Lucia from our first meeting. They really understood what we wanted to do with the house. Rick is uniquely talented, combining the practicality of a builder with the creativity of a designer. He helped us with many suggestions and basically came up the look and design of the kitchen and baths. We loved his ideas but had to wait a while for his actual bids. We were pressed for time and we had actually decided to use someone else, when we got their bid at the very last minute. Our initial plan was to add a laundry room, reconfigure the kitchen and enlarge the master bath and cosmetically redo the rest of the house for around $120,000. The project got bigger as we went. Midway Rick convinced us to take out a wall and completely open the kitchen. This meant also reframing the ceiling to take the extra load and increasing the cost. It was a hard decision but in the end it completely transformed our house! The house was built n 1939, so the plaster couldn't be patched well so we decided to take it all out put in new drywall. The old cloth electrical was a disaster waiting to happen so we replaced that as well. The roof was rotted and water damaged and we wound up replacing the whole roof with new plywood and 40 year roofing. Rick's design for our baths, especially the master bath are just beautiful, the travertine stonework is just gorgeous. Rick's crew are great guys. They do first rate work, they show up everyday, they work really fast, they clean up everyday. They are polite and considerate to us and our neighbors. They work hard but seem to have fun at the same time. Rick even surprised us with a barbeque lunch he cooked in our own backyard for us and all of the guys! The majority of the work was done in about three months. The windows were delayed over three weeks and ended up stopping work because so many city inspections depended on their installation. Then we delayed the project for a few weeks because we couldn't decided on the all of the paint and stain color combinations. In the end it took just over five months to complete the project. This is incredibly fast if you look at the extent of the work. If there is a downside it is that Rick's crew work so fast that Rick has a hard time to keep up with the paperwork. We often would get change orders to look over after the work was already finished and we didn't know what the costs were until then. Often they were higher than Rick originally told us verbally. To be fair, though, if we had a problem with the cost, Rick was always willing to work with us on it. Our house turned out much better than we ever thought it could be. Our friends are amazed at the transformation and we love to show it off.

Rick Valdez came to my house after a query made to his office via e-mail and phone. He recommended demolition of two levels of the staircase and the pouring of two concrete footers to prevent further termite damage in the future. He also recommended drilling holes for drainage in the retaining wall that stands on either side of the staircase. When Rick's crew arrived at the house, the work took longer than the original schedule called for, but there was no additional charge. Some slight modifications were made to the design of the staircase per the renovations but they worked quite well. The staircase was also stained so that it would match the darker color of the older, aged wood of the staircase and deck to which it was attached. When the job was nearly completed, we found some additional dry rot and termite damage to three support posts and we re-negotiated the original agreement on the spot so that the posts could be replaced with new lumber.

The owner showed up to give an estimate right on time. That was great. After the "walk through" of what I needed done, he took a few quick measurements and left without much of a discussion of the work. I took this as him not being interested in the job, which is OK. Then the estimate came in a good ten days later (he said he'd get it to me in a few days). By that time, I had already hired someone else, and they were halfway done with the job! I did convey to him I needed the work done ASAP. The estimate came in WAY too high in my opinion, so wouldn't of hired anyway.

When I first met Rick from Azteca builders, I was a bit worn out from the scams, the over priced, the "work not done", and deposits stolen from the contracting world. So needless to say, we had construction baggage. From the beginning, Rick put our fears at ease with his knowledge of building, creativity, hands-on manner, and warm personality. And most importantly, competitive pricing. The fact that he had worked with some of the same crew for more than 15 years was also a plus. It signified that he treated people fairly and they were happy to work with him and for him. It truly felt like a family of workers entering our household on a daily basis. Not only were his workers some of the most proficient and hard working people I've met, they were also always on time, friendly, and never left a job unfinished. We happen to be pretty picky people as well. So, in our eyes, they not only finished a job, but also finished it with detail and shine. As for Rick himself, what can I say? He is a landscaper, designer, contractor, and artist all in one. His vision was way beyond what we could have dreamed of for our project. We brought our own ideas to the table and he only made them better with his keen eye and attention to detail. His wife and business partner, Lucia, was also very pleasant to work with. She handled the proposals, change orders, etc. and always had them done on time and with detail so we knew exactly what we were in for construction wise and price. Azteca started on a small project on our house and we just kept adding things to the list so they would stay with us and continue to make our house beautiful. I highly recommend them to everybody who is looking to beautify their own dwelling, interior or exterior. At the end of the day, they added on a substantial increase to our property value and we feel like we have found a family with Azteca. There is no question that when we are ready to build our dream house, Azteca will definitely be building it from the first nail to the very end. Sincerely, Paul, Alison, and Rowan Smith Eagle Rock, California

They were very careful about being in my house. They were cheaper than the other two companies that I looked up. I would recommend them again! They are wonderful!

Very, very well...professional, friendly, great to work with...I am more than pleased with this company and will continue to use them when needed.

It went well, as usual. Rick's guys are always friendly and competent. I would use Azteca 111 for just about any project I had in mind. Rick provides his guys with great guidance and encourages attention to detail. My only concern was when Rick went out of town on vacation, we saw a slow down in progress. His influence with his team is really a key component of their success.

Based on excellent reports on Angie's List, we contacted Rick at Azteca Builders to get a bid on our remodeling project. He was very responsive and immediately came to meet us to discuss the project. However, after that he went missing in action for several weeks until I contacted him. He promised to have the bid ready by the end of the next day but I heard nothing. Several days later I got a vague email saying they were still crunching numbers. No apology or explanation for being so late. So I just wrote back saying don't bother, we already offered someone else the job. With that kind of lack of responsiveness, there was no way I would hire this company, no matter how great the reviews were.

Azteca came out to give me a quote on remodeling the master bedroom and bathroom door in my loft, as well as adding a new floor and some landscaping. He was 15 minutes late, but arrived with great ideas for how to complete the work and said he would be back with a welder that week and provide a quote within a few days. I never heard from him again, and had to follow up via email. I was told they were busy and would get me an estimate within a week. Over a week later I had still not heard from them to schedule an appointment for the welder or to provide a quote. I contacted them again and was told they were still very busy and would get me a quote when they could. I had told them I was pregnant and needed the work completed right away before the baby was born. All in all, they treated me as if I was unimportant, they were too slow and non-responsive. Working with them was a waste of two weeks, and I would not rely on them to complete any work within a time frame. Don't use them.

We spent the better part of a month discussing the project and negotiating budget with Azteca and several other potential contractors. Rick constantly identified ideas to improve the look of the project. Even though they were not the cheapest alternative, their price was reasonable and they were clearly focused on ensuring a product that we and they would be proud of. It was also critical to us to meet a deadline for an upcoming backyard event and they finished the project almost 2 weeks ahead of the deadline. Rick had his team working Saturdays and Sundays for several weeks to ensure timely completion.

It went poorly because they did not return my phone call to discuss the project.

Rick and his team were great to work with. He provided creative suggestions and solutions, and had all the major "must-haves" in a contractor/project partner covered. Azteca was a professional and prompt company that provided excellent value for the services rendered. I would gladly work with Rick and his team again for a variety of projects.

THE JOB WENT REALLY WELL. WORK WAS THOROUGH AND ON TIME AND I WAS KEPT ABREAST OF THE PROGRESS OF THE JOB AS IT WENT ALONG. RICK AND HIS CREW WENT OUT OF THEIR WAY TO DO THE JOB RIGHT AND EVEN WORKED ON A COUPLE OF SMALL ADDITIONAL PROJECTS I ASKED ABOUT AS THE JOB WENT ALONG. ALWAYS DONE IN A FRIENDLY AND PROFESSIONAL MANNER. AND RICK CONCEIVED OF THE LOOK OF THE JOB BEFORE HE TOOK IT ON AND DEVELOPED THAT CONCEPTION ALL THE WAY THROUGH -- ALWAYS CONSIDERING HOW ANY INDIVIDUAL ASPECT OF THE PROJECT WOULD FIT IN WITH THE WHOLE WHEN IT WAS DONE. RICK ALSO WENT OUT OF HIS WAY TO MAKE US AWARE OF EXACTLY WHAT WAS AVAILABLE TO US IN TERMS OF BATHROOM DESIGN AND WINDOWS AND ALWAYS HELPED US MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION. WE ARE THOROUGHLY SATISFIED WITH AZTECA'S WORK.

We met with Rick Valdez in February for a consultation. Once we decided to move forward with them, the total project took two and a half months. At first we thought that the estimate was a little high, but they never charged us a penny over what they submitted and the work that they do goes far beyond your average remodel. Rick Valdez is an artist with incredible vision and very unique ideas.

Rick was really nice when he came to the house - very professional and answered most of my questions. However, not only was this the MOST expensive bid I had received (out of 3), the quote did not include the specifics that we had asked for (example - comparing the price of seed vs. sod). It also took 8 business days to receive the quote (Rick initially said "a few days," I called to follow up and then was told 10 days). It is unfortunate, because this company had received mostly good reviews - just wanted to share my experience. He did show up on time for the initial appointment.

This was the best experience I've had with a contractor/handyman. The owners of the company were very attentive and responsive throughout the process, from request for quote to the completion of the work. The workers on the job were considerate and VERY clean. Before doing any work, paper was taped down to the floors where they would be walking and plastic taped up to walls/ceilings to keep down the dust. I had to do relatively little cleaning after wall/ceiling sanding and the paint jobs. The workmanship was excellent and the advice I received on various aspects of the work was very good. I will definitely use them again.

It went great. Rick and Lucia are our two new favorite people. We're going to use them for EVERYTHING from now on. Except we're going to try not to bug them too much with little fix-it jobs. We want to use them for what they are really good at, which is major projects and remodels and so forth.

See above -- that pretty much says it.

We were very happy with all the work done. Rick and two workers showed up when they said they would, checked out the problems and had them fixed in a couple hours. They were very careful not to get our rugs or walls dirty. Will use them in the future.

I was really thrilled to find Aztec. Lucia, who does the scheduling, is very personable and helpful and they called us back right away. Rick came over the next day to look at the jobs we needed to be done. We were happy with the price they quoted and ended up bringing Rick and his crew on to fix many things that would have needed serious attention down the line. He really took time to locate and seal EVERY possible water leak source to ensure that the house would be safe. Rick really understands older homes, he is great at spotting problem areas early on to prevent major problems. The crew was great, very focused and worked quickly. They protected all of the areas they worked in/walked through and always called if they were going to be running late. Rick had great design suggestions about ways to make the most of work that already needed to be done. He is both practical and an artist. What meant the most is that they really wanted us to be happy. How rare is that? Five stars.

This company is run by a lovely couple, Rick Valdez and Lucia Marano. She was great at coordinating the estimate meeting (which I had to cancel once because of a personal situation), showed up on time, were swift with an estimate and in scheduling the job. The crew showed up on time. Everyone in this company is extremely nice, knowledgeable, and respectful. I am a woman living alone and felt comfortable with them in my home. They took changes in stride, and made sure I was happy with the job every step of the way. They cleaned up after themselves nicely too.

Azteca 111 feng shui-ed my garden by installing a beautiful koi pond! Not only is Rick Valdez a talented artist with a vision, but his work is impeccable. The pond was a large black hole sitting in my yard. Now it is a full functioning zen garden. It was a three day process, and he created a beautiful rock garden with a waterfall. He even took me to a wonderful place for pond life (koi, plants, decor). Valdez will take what you had in mind and make it even better! He is trustworthy, reasonably priced, and fast!