Get matched with top structural engineers in Montecito, CA

"I worked with Alpha once before, and they assisted with a second project 2 years ago which, now finally completed, I'm able to write a review about. Alpha helped with structural plans for windows in a garden level unit in order to prepare the proposal for city approval. Alpha is a big company and it took them a little while to complete everything; however I can certainly say that the engineer and contact people were knowledgeable and thorough. The plans were approved with their help and now that the unit is permitted for occupancy, the windows are a lovely attribute to the space."

"Punctual, knowledgeable, willing, personable, prepared. thank you for your help in determining structural integrity in my home."

"Thank you Goodfellas. You guys were able to perform all of my needs all in one company. From the lighting, to the design, to the remodel Goodfellas was able to help give me great ideas for it all. You guys rock! I am so fulfilled with you guys that everything I have to say is positive. I have had bad experiences in the past with other companies and you guys proved to me that I can trust you with all areas of my home. My home is beautiful and I couldn't ask for more. I just wanted to give my thanks and say I appreciate the amazing work. Recognition should be given where it is due and you guys have definitely earned that. I highly suggest GoodFellas as your choice."

"2 words.... Smooth ride. I can't express enough truly how great of an experience this was. I have good experiences with previous contractors but not like this one with Meir. I didn't feel pressured into making decisions, he was willing to work with me on the price (because I wanted everything high end), and I was constantly updated with the status of the project. I highly recommend working with this company and Meir. Thank you again for your outstanding work.


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"This is a long review. Please read the whole article to put the ratings in context. To start, we have all plans and permits ready and paid for. We were ready to execute when we sought out contractors for bidding. First contact: Rep did not show up due to miscommunication. Sion personally apologized and arranged to come out himself. He requested electronic copies of the approved plans. When we sat down at our residence, he had printed out his own full size prints from the pdf files we sentand was prepared to discuss the details of the drawings. He is a civil engineer and it reflected in his depth of knowledge beyond what I would expect a GC to know. I had to call the architect to get some clarifications and this is after I have sat down with 3 other contractors already. He submitted a written bid at the sit down and after we had time to review his proposal, he answered my questions within 24 hours. He wasn't the most detailed, but it was sufficient for us to understand and compare with other bids. His initial bid was very competitive and we know where the cost increases will be based upon the quality of finish we are looking at. Reviewing his license, he has a Class B (general contractor) AND a Class A (engineering contractor)!!! His license dates back to 1981 for the B license and 1996 for his A license. Go to cslb.ca.gov license # 407061 to verify yourself. He also looks to be up to date on insurance with no complaints to CSLB. Through the initial discussions, Sion offered up a few suggestions on improving the aesthetics and functionality. We will take those under advisement, but requested the bid against the drawings as-is so we can compare contractors fairly. Upon review of all offerors, we selected Real Construction. 1) They have excellent references in the south bay/culver city area. 2) Sion has a Class A and B license. 3) They were lower priced for the same scope of work (typically a danger sign, but I'll address this more later). It took two iterations to agree to the scope, payment schedule, terms, and final price. Terms included us remaining at the residence during construction. It was a fair and straightforward exercise. No games, no fuss. Since starting, communication has been excellent. They are available via email, text, and phone and are very responsive. Sion explains each step and the following steps so you are well informed. He is patient and willing to work with our desires and needs. The subs he uses have, for the most part, been professional and very knowledgeable. Sion and his subseven have some, I'll call them passionate, discussions... which I find is a good thing. It means everyone cares to do the job right and not blindly do what they are told. Experts in their fields, they include us in the discussions to ensure what they are going to do will meet or exceed our expectations. As a project engineer myself, I totally enjoy this and appreciate the attention to detail. When we started to put down foundation, floor joists, and frames, I walked around with both large and small levels verifying that everything is down, plumb, and level. I found one vertical beam that was 1/4" off over an 8 foot run, which was acceptable and the most out of alignment I could find. Everything else was dead level or plumb. He ordered all his hardware from a lumber yard in Woodland Hills. We wrote checks directly to them and deducted it from our running balance with Sion. Sion also provided the lien waivers. Our first change order occurred when we pulled back a wall and found no foundation under it. It was permitted by the city, so we had all assumed it had a proper foundation. To remedy, Sion charged $11k to tear down necessary walls, dig, and pour a proper raised foundation, re-build the walls, plumbing, electrical, etc. that would not have had to be touched before. Note this area is to support the new second floor, so while the price may seem high, a lot of work went into it. All the rough framing was done well. We had a few issues from the drawings that the architect had put together. For example, the walls were drawn as 8' high, but were actually 8' 4" high. Sion had to return all the 8' sheer wall (with restocking fee) and purchase 12' sheer wall and trim 20" off each one. He wasn't happy, but he did the work without a change order. This also forced a change to the stairs since we were now one step short of the height. It also changed the roof line. Sion discussed several options with us and he found ways to make the whole thing work. I was really impressed. Rough Plumbing and Electrical were done well. We opted to do a change order to increase the water main diameter and put in a recirculating hot water system. We also had to increase the size of the gas lines to accomodate several new appliances. The total change was about $8k for all the work, plus recirculating hardware. I am very happy with the quality of work so far, so I thought it was a fair price. I'm sure I could have gotten it cheaper, but probably not with the same level of integrity and attention to detail that I have seen. Insulation installers were fast and used good quality materials. Dry wall contractors took a few days since there was a lot to put up, plus we have 14' vaulted ceilings in almost every new room. Sion used Milgard for the windows and french doors. Roofers did their job well. The tile work was done by his workers. Good quality overall. My wife saw a 'waterfall' design at Floor and Decor and decided she wanted that pattern of river rocks running up the shower and on the shower floor. Used metal bullnose material. Everything was installed the way she wanted. Sion's shower glass installer came out, and installed what we agreed upon. He tried to upsell us on some things, but he was ok when we politely declined. Sion gave us an allowance for the master bath and we were able to stay within it and ended up with something we like. The flooring was a bit of a different story. He gave us an allowance, but his flooring contractor was going to charge us an absurd amount of money. Sion was OK with us contracting the flooring ourselves. It was a lot of work and time for us, but we did save a lot of money on that aspect. His workers generally work hard, but some of them do have a bit of an attitude. Just deal directly with Sion and let him handle them. For the stucco, Sion only bid stucco color for the addition. It took us a bit of discussion to understand why he wanted a change order to fog the entire house. Fogging is the last step in stucco with the coloring. After a bit of research, we saw what he was telling us was correct and the price was reasonable. Unfortunately, he limited us to the basic colors, but we found one that my wife liked. Should you use Sion, make sure you are very explicit in the painting instructions. He will assume a single color. Sion was present almost 90% of the days throughout the project. He was there before 7am (mostly because he wanted to beat traffic down). Now we are in the final throws of the project. Sion completed the bulk of his contract in 18 weeks, right about when he thought he would be done. So, he held his promised schedule in spite of a few issues along the way. Overall summary: For the rough work, Sion is on top of the game. The detailed work required some arm wrestling and discussion. Communication is generally very good. Though Sion can get stuck on an idea and you have to be patient to let him get it all out before he hears you. After I figured that out, it was easy to deal with him. He is responsive to phone calls, emails, and texts. He can get a little emotional if you don't do exactly what he thought you would do, but hey, he's human and not a machine. I'm ok with that. Integrity: Sion didn't do anything to make me question his integrity. He worked hard and he kept his word. There were a few times when we remembered things differently, but I believe that those are honest differences and not an attempt to mislead or increase the price. The one real complaint I have is that he was on contract to keep the grounds clean each day since we are living through the construction. We called him on it the first week when the worker"

"Without question, Fiorebuilt Construction exceeded my expectations and has given me the home I have always dreamt of. I stumbled upon Fiorebuilt Constrution, as I was picking my daughter up from her friends house who was having work done by Fiorebuilt Construction. I was looking to remodel my home and mentioned that to my friend who introduced me to Anthony Fiore. I made an appointment for Anthony to come over and take a look at what I wanted to do in my home. Anthony arrived on time and was dressed professionally, he listened to what I had to say and then proceeded to explain the ins and outs of home remodeling. He explained and answered every one of my questions in a direct and honest manor. He didn't make me feel obliged or pressured into making any decisions I was not comfortable with. At my second meeting with Anthony he and his partner Klay both came out to my home and conducted an extensive free consultation on the work I wanted to do in my kitchen, bathrooms and bedrooms. Anthony and Klay listened carefully to all of my questions and concerns.  The project started a few months after our initial meeting and ran very smoothly, the workers showed up to my home on time, everyday, and did not leave until their work was completed. Anthony and Klay of would stop in from time to time to make sure that everything was coming along to my design expectations. My kitchen, bathroom and bedroom have been completed and I have begun my next project with Fiorebuilt Construction. I have recommended their services to all of my friends and family. Fiorebuilt Construction is unlike other construction companies, which design and work in ways that are convenient for their company. They work closely with the customer from beginning to end. I truly apprecite their work and thank them for all that they have done."

"Jessica is very profession in arranging a visit by one of their structural engineer to confirm a wall is non-load bearing. Edward came, observed and confirmed it. He also provided info what city may need for getting a permit for removing it. He is also very professional and very knowledgeable."

"On install day Solomon and Jose came by an put in the wall and gate with no problems. They came fully prepared and did all the touch up work at the end. Highly recommend these guys, I'm definitely using them again in the future."

"If you're looking for a reliable, honest contractor that has great design sense and an incredible work ethic, look no further. This was my first remodel and I was really nervous after hearing so many contractor horror stories from others. I feel like I hit the jackpot with SGI and the team. They guided me through the whole process and the end result was exactly what I wanted in my dream kitchen and bathroom. Every day of our project I would come home to a clean workspace and progress was made on schedule. With two little kids in the house that meant everything."

"I had a pleasant experience with Mc construction and design. Mike the project manager did a great job in keeping me informed with schedule and pricing was very affordable."