Category Archives: Contractor’s Corner

Contractor's Corner – Lighting up Your Deck

This week one of our clients asked about possible Exterior Deck Lighting Options. We’ve lit decks before, there are some great new ways to use technology to keep costs down, but add beauty, safety, a smart look to your new deck. Nowadays we prefer using low profile solar powered (with help from rechargeable batteries) deck lighting. […]

Financing Your Remodel? Head to City Hall!

We were so suprised when we got the call. A family in South San Francisco wanted us to design install a new bathroom, then told us their budget. We met, showed them a few of our Bath Pack designs, they chose one, selected finish colors, off we went.  We sent the estimate the next day, they […]

Home Maintenance Tip: Check Your Deck!

One great advantage of living in the Bay Area is our climate, another is that almost anywhere you live, you can find a view – of the hills, the Bay, the Ocean. That makes one of the most popular home additions a beautiful Deck. Those of you with decks more than 10 years old probably have them built from redwood […]

Contractor’s Corner: Our License Is for You!

We know a client is knowledgeable when the first question they ask is, are you licensed? Sometimes, when we do design work, or meet with people to offer a bid, a prospective construction client will ask, does it matter if I use a licensed contractor? Why? What if I know someone who has always done […]

Contractor's Corner: Permits are a Project

There are some things money can’t buy, that is a General Contractor who knows their way around a Building Department. It takes some doing, back forth, give take,  getting to know everybody in the place. Mostly, it takes time. In Northern California, we have lots of small municipalities, one overarching county. In all of San Francisco, […]

Contractor's Corner: Now is the Time!

Got an email today that talked about the latest study to come of  Harvard University, their Remodelling Market Update Report. While most of the report came as a harsh reminder of the tough conditions which exist in today’s remodeling market, it ended by identifying five positives, which are worth repeating sharing with you!  Here they are: 1. […]

Contractor’s Corner: Bathroom Remodeling – Do It Yourself?

Bathroom Remodeling Advice                  Most homeowners talk about renovating their bathroom, think it’s just “a small room, I can do it myself.”  The most common piece of bathroom remodeling advice they get is to hire an expert to do the job. It’s not that they are incapable of doing most of the work, but rather […]