
Building Doctors
About us
We test, diagnose, and cure energy efficiency, health, indoor air quality and comfort issues in your home. Our “Check Up” is a comprehensive home energy audit combining building science and modern detection devices to evaluate the energy efficiency level of your whole home. Our detailed report addresses your concerns and prioritizes the recommended upgrades. We are licensed and certified to do the work but don’t sub it out. We own our own air sealing, insulation removal and blowing equipment, and have a heating and air conditioning license and crew. After our upgrades our customers save 20% to 50% off their energy bills all while making their home energy efficient, healthier, and more comfortable. All of our employees have gone through a through background check. We take the utmost care when testing your home and even wear scrubs and booties and put down protective clothes to protect your home.
Business highlights
Services we offer
& Day Lighting, Crawl Space & Building Envelope Air Sealing, Duct Sealing & Replacement, Heating and Air conditioning, Insulation, Lighting Retrofits, water heaters, null
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"Thanks for your kind words [Member name]. Glad we could make your new home more comfortable"
The project expanded as we decided we wanted to do more work than originally planned in the garage. They were accommodating and the project rolled out smoothly.
Dan did a tremendous amount of research to ensure I was getting the noise reduction for the garage I was looking for. I wanted insulation, new walls, sound reduction, higher efficiency, and temperature regulation. After much research and consultation we moved forward with the agreed upon plan and it was executed well.
Dan and his team were willing to come out as needed for small finishing touches, questions, etc. They certainly went above and beyond on multiple occasions.
The project did take longer than anticipated, but I've never been involved in a single contracting experience that finished on time, so I don't consider this a problem. It was still completed in an acceptable timeframe.
When we bought our new home, a flip, we were assured that the vast differential in temperature between one end of the home and the other had been "fixed", and then when I called the installer to complain, I was told that the system needed to "settle in". This was
untrue. Other contractors had given us quotes for "installing baffles" but only Building Doctors considered the whole system including the spotty insulation in the older part of the house, and proposed a comprehensive fix. This is a high tech machine, and has to be installed by experts to work to fullest efficiency. It's a little more expensive to start, but will result in savings down the road, extending the life of the HVAC, and lowering our heating and cooling costs.
Dan and Mark with their team, showed us how poorly the system was originally installed. They have instruments that measure airflow, and a computer program to design the proper placement of every register. The team moved each one, removed some that were extraneous, contributing the imbalance problem, and then Victor used "the machine" to measure and customize the air flow in each room, until we all felt satisfied that the temperature differences were slight.
They installed a second air return to bring the area up to spec (it had been about half that was needed) and sealed every joint. They also sealed around our recessed lights, which will stop heat transfer.
Most amazing is that our heater is totally SILENT, and the cold air conditioner is almost so. The fan used to make a huge racket as it struggled to draw in sufficient air to work properly.
They blew in insulation to the two attic spaces, and constructed new insulated covers for the attic access holes. While they were up there, they also noticed some torn screening in the attic vents, which they quickly replaced.
Even though they only just finished, we can already tell that the temperature is within a degree or two throughout the house. In the past there was a noticeable change as one walked down the hall. We are feeling very happy, comfortable, and looking forward to finding out about our California "Green" rebate from all the new insulation. The added advantage is how quiet the house has become.
The guys papered the floors of our house, and did a good job of installing plastic to protect furniture and control dust. They have some ingenious friction posts with padded ends that they use to hold up plastic "walls" that minimize the taping. They cleaned up at the end of every day, and even brought their own bathroom supplies for their use. Either Dan or Mark came by every day. Our only problem is matching the exact paint color of our ceiling white, which was actually my task! I'll have to try a different brand at a different home store.
Dan and Mark have a real passion for their work, and a great deal of knowledge about energy efficiency. They like to take things beyond code. Our roof insulation is now R38. My husband and I have enjoyed working with them, and feel like our home is better than ever, and we have increased the value of our home as well.
Installation went smoothly. Technicians were always on-time, professional and worked late to complete the work in a timely manner. House was left clean and work quality is very good. There were a few minor post-installation issues and the owner worked with me to have them corrected in quick order. Overall, Building Doctors was very customer focused and worked closely with me on all aspects of the job. I appreciate it when a company is willing to work with me and review options.
The owner also submitted the rebate forms for the Energy Upgrade California and also worked out all the necessary permits with LA County. He even went the extra mile when the Energy Upgrade California inspector needed proof that the old knob/tube wiring was replaced (by the previous owner).
The only area I give them less than an A grade is on price. The energy audit costs (both initial and post-installation) are high and are not applied to the cost of the work (other companies offered free audits and/or stated the costs would be applied to the overall project costs). Installation and material costs were also somewhat expensive, but the quality of the work, responsiveness and punctuality make the extra cost worth it to me.
do the job) or simply walked away without providing a quote at all due to the complexity. At the initial consult, Dan at building doctors had the perspective and vision about how we could accomplish what we wanted in a way that we needed. Additionally, he has a gift for explaining technical building codes and efficiency factors in a way that was fully comprehensible and empowered us to make informed decisions. This provider's ability to provide a "one-stop shop" that was able to coordinate asbestos removal, completion of some required renovation for this project, as well installation of a high efficiency AC system (operational just as the weather turned especially HOT) was nothing short of excellent.
We elected to stay in the home during the work (never a fun thing to do). However, The Building Doctors were very careful to consistently clean the work site on a nightly basis, making this much more bearable for us. They were always very responsive to any requests, patient in making sure they understood and addressed any concerns we had and assisted us with all paperwork associated with energy upgrade rebate programs for which we might be eligible. We were also very happy with the high quality of the work done. While home improvements of this scope often leave we home owners somewhat anxious about incurring such a high expense, we were very satisfied with the final product (which included some finish work) and believe that the project cost would have been considerably higher had we gone a more 'piece meal' route. We were randomly selected by the utility company to verify the scope of work performed by this provider. Even the 3rd party contractor hired by the utility company was impressed with the quality of the work, noting the high quality 'hospital grade' duct work utilized.
In short, this is an extremely professional, competent and responsive provider whom I would not hesitate to recommend.
In comes the building Doctors. The crew showed up for a house audit. Of course my place was a mess. I knew it and dan knew it. So I went for the whole nine yards. The boys came in like grant took Richmond. Dressed in doctors scrubs they took out truck loads of old dangerous insulation in a complete professional manner. They were friendly, fun and courteous of my pet. All the ducts were changed. A new heater that looked like a Star Wars ship was placed under my home hung in quiet suspension. A brand new digital thermostat was put in. All new insulation in the walls, floor and places where one wouldn't have thought. Cracks were sealed airtight. A beautiful AC unit was brought in. All the gear is quiet as a mouse. Next up, the inspection. A man came over completely independent of the building doctors and inspected the work. When he asked who did the work again he laughed and said, the building doctors? Well this will be easy, they are the only company that passes. Once he saw the work he was more interested in playing with my dog! He said your on good hands my friend. This inspection is over. Shortly after I received $3,700 from the government! The results? My house is amazing now. No more dirty air. No more dust. I never have to clean as much. I never sneeze or cough through the winter. The heater is amazing and the AC magic and quiet. The real charm is that if I shut all the doors and the inside temp is 70, I can leave for five hours with the heat off and the AC off and when I return my house is still 70 degrees! That is an air tight green star rated home. Thank you building doctors. Thank you Dan and the entire crew for making my home of 20 years brand new. Bring on the heat or the cold this building doctor home will will be comfortable for years and years. A plus!!!
The estimate was a little ridiculous. I think lots of things were recommended that weren't needed. For instance. I don't need my floors insulated for the love of a few hundred dollars in rebates. In addition, the estimates were WAY high. And every time I asked about additional things, only the most expensive options were quoted. I don't need to launch rockets from my water heater, thank you.
The provider had very very detailed estimates and was a complete professional. But when I asked the brand of heating unit he'd put in, he would not answer clearly. I found this disconcerting.
If I had a very expensive house, and lots of money, I'd TOTALLY use these guys. I believe he knew what he was talking about. He knew his business and was courteous, prompt and attentive. In the end, however, I had to have the work done by people who didn't insist on sealing off my entire house.
"[member name removed], I just read a review you had about an energy audit performed by Building Doctors at your home and the estimate for the improvements. Unfortunately, I don’t have you in my data base of past customers and the address you have up on Angie’s List is not in our data base either. I looked it up on Google maps and it is an apartment building which we would not have performed a comprehensive home energy audit. If there was an audit done for you at a different address or under a different last name please let me know. It seems like the only problem you had was with the estimate and I can understand why you would have thought that with since our initial estimate is always all encompassing. We are what is called a home performance contractor that looks at the house as a whole system. Whenever we send out an estimate we start with the “best of the best” options so you can see how to make your home the most efficient and comfortable as possible. Then we can always work our way backwards from there. There are some basic measures that are required for the Energy Upgrade CA rebate program. They are: adding attic insulation to code, sealing your air duct leakage to code and a reduction in your homes building envelope leakage through air sealing. Anything after this is done buffet style and you get rewarded for whatever measures you implement. You are obviously free to choose whatever upgrades you want for your home. You are correct that floor insulation has a poor payback here in Southern California but it would be completely unprofessional of me to not let you know that option is available to you and the rebates available to you. You brought up an issue when the discussion of brands for HVAC equipment came up. We have a California heating and air conditioning contractor’s license but are not the typical HVAC contractor. We are not brand centric and you should beware of those that are. Most HVAC contractors get money and perks back from the manufactures of the equipment they sell. We at Building Doctors have some brands we prefer but if the supply house is having a sale on equipment that month we inform our client and give that discount to them. It comes down to the quality of the installation and not the name of the brand. I try to steer people away from the big name brands like Carrier. Their equipment is very expense and overrated in my opinion. There are comparable brands that have the same warrantees that are thousands of dollars less. I can see why one might think I am being evasive about what brands we install but it is only because I don’t care what the brand is as long as it is installed to our high standards. Building Doctors was the first company to install a zero percent duct leakage system here in Southern California. The allowed us to join a very exclusive group called the Ring4Club.com This proves the point about the installation techniques and not the brand name of the equipment. I hope this clears things up and you are actually able to read this and you get back with me. I would love to know where was the home we performed this audit and who you are. I requested Angie’s List contact you so you will hopefully get hold of me. We have worked hard to become the leading home performance contractor in Southern California. I have never claimed we are the cheapest only the best. If you or anyone wants to get hold of me, my personal cell o=phone is 213-448-6668 and my email is [email protected]. Best, Dan Thomsen"
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