MJ Construction

The job went ok, but he used our front lawn for a staging area so we couldn't get a rebate from the Santa Clara Valley Water District because our yard was destroyed. The rebate would have been $500.

MJ Construction was referred to us by our landscaper/gardener. MJ Construction is a small father/son company that specializes in concrete work. Miguel and Michael worked with us on material and pricing to make sure that the planters were exactly what we wanted. We received other estimates that were way more expensive and at first that made us concerned about MJ Constructions estimate. Another very large company (System Pavers) would not even come to the house to give a detailed quote because the job was "too small" for them.They did give a verbal quote over the phone that was ridiculously low (about $3500). Oneof the other contractors only wanted to quote one manufacturer of the blocks, whereas MJ Construction quoted based on whatever manufacturers we wanted. I also learned that the big companies sub out their work so they do not always have daily control of the project. Because they are smaller and do not sub out the work, either Miguel or Michael were on site at all times to make sure that the work was done correctly.
We talked over the differences in the estimates at length with my landscaper and Michael. I was assured that the work would be done as specified and at a high level of quality. They were right, the quality of the job was excellent. An example: one of the very expensive bids from a larger company specified 6 inches of base rock. MJ Construction specified 12 inches of base rock, more material but makes for a more stable foundation for the planters.
MJ Construction workers were always courteous and professional. When questions about the project came up Michael made sure that he got our input before proceeding, resulting in our complete satisfaction. When they were done the site was cleaned up and put in very good condition.
The only thing that I would say MJ Construction is lax on is that they are a little informal on initial the estimates. But, if you ask for a detailed estimate before you accept their bid they will provide it, and best of all honor it. No bait and switch.

Late last year, I bought an old San Francisco house that needed a whole lot of help. Most of the issues were in the kitchen area, where the original windows have been leaking for at least a decade and the walls were substantially rotten through. On top of that, the appliances were left over from a 1950s remodel that was later patched over haphazardly. All in all, the kitchen was a mess. There was also more work needed elsewhere - the entry staircase was leaking into the garage, as were the large bay windows in the front of the house.  It was good for us - It sufficiently depressed the value of the house to the point that we could now afford it, but it was not pretty and needed fixing. I've spoken to a number of different contractors and went with Manuel & co. I'm thrilled that we did.
The one thing that set Manuel apart from his competition was that he got it. He understood our financial situation, he figured out what we liked and didn't like, and he worked hard to find a creative solution that gave us the kitchen that we wanted (and thought we couldn't afford) within our budget, which was about half of what we were told to expect to spend by others. Manuel and team kept the existing cabinets (which were extremely well made.... 60 years ago) and refreshed them, making them look wonderful. He rearranged them to fit our vision, and fabricated new ones to match. He gave wonderful advice on everything from fixtures to countertops. In the end, We have a wonderful kitchen that's both gorgeous and efficient, and Manuel pulled it together for the price of the most basic of remodels. This took a lot of creativity and a lot of hard work. It probably wasn't the most lucrative project in the world - after all, the rest of the people I talked to all concentrated on up-selling me on more and fancier stuff, something Manuel never did. Instead, he pointed out opportunities to salvage and reuse existing features. He also helped us splurge, strategically, on the things that would have the most impact (we got fancy granite that looks 100X better than what I'm used to seeing in most kitchens). 
I would recommend Manuel for any project, big or small, without hesitation. He's done excellent work, on time, and on budget. He predicted up front the areas where there could be unforeseen expenses so well, that in the end we spent somewhat less than we had budgeted. This was my first repair-and-remodeling project in my first house and I was dreading it in the beginning. In the end I had a great experience and wound up in a better place than I thought I would. Kudos to Manuel. 
alex

Miguel was a day late to start work. He was incredibly difficult to get a hold of. He would be MIA for days at a time, I basically had to harass him to finish the work. His crew consisted of his uncle and some of his family members. They were very nice people but pretty much needed Miguel to tell them what to do. They would often show up on time and wait around for hours until Miguel showed up (late as always). The work they did on the actual patio was C-grade. Some of the capstone pavers on the steps became unglued after they left and we called them to have them come back out but they never called nor came. We ended up having to fix the steps ourselves. The cost was the lowest estimate we got and I guess you get what you pay for, but I would have rather them quoted me higher and done a better job.