“Custom Construction is a well-oiled machine”
We polled many people in our search for a contractor for our remodel and heard many horror stories in the process. Our experience with Custom Construction was the exact opposite. From the moment, we met Bryan we knew we were talking to an honest, diligent craftsman. He worked hard to listen and answer all our questions, bid competitively and win our business. Custom Construction is a well-oiled machine. Joanne is terrific at project management and Bryan and his crew were a joy to work with. Courteous, professional and efficient. They did high-quality work with impeccable attention to detail, and they finished on time and on budget. We found them to be extremely fair with change orders, and they continue to work with us to keep us happy with our remodel. And we are! It is beautifully executed. Should we need future work, this is our team.
—Mel & Dave
“When a client asks, I honestly always feel comfortable recommending Custom Construction.”
"They have always been so responsive to initial inquiries and are very willing to help define initial budgets. They are extremely diligent about arriving on time and keeping the communication open. And finally, they have always provided quality craftsmanship in a timely fashion and at a reasonable cost!”
—Organic Architect, San Francisco
“Their work is clean and well executed– most importantly on budget and on time.”
“Custom Construction has completed nearly a half dozen construction projects for us, both commercial and residential. Their work is clean and well executed and – most importantly on budget and on time. Jobs completed include additions, complete interior gut and remodels, custom woodwork, seismic/structural and historic façade restoration."
—Haight Street Business Owner
"Their work is exceptional. I highly recommend Bryan and his team for any construction projects"
“Mr. Bryan Keane, Owner of Custom Construction, and his employees have replaced my three-story tradesmen’s stairway, my backyard 55′ neighboring fence and completely rebuilt my rear yard entrance deck, wrought iron railing, and concrete pilings. All excess materials, sawdust and foliage were removed and discarded leaving a pristine condition to my backyard bower and fruit trees."
—Tim Flint
"We wish we had done it years ago, and we are so glad we found Custom Construction."
I can't recommend Custom Construction highly enough. We used Bryan to remodel our 1915 Edwardian in San Francisco. My major concern was that we maintain the character of the home while upgrading the kitchen and bathrooms. Bryan is truly an artisan. His experience allowed him to envision what the finished product would be way before I could see it. He made suggestions that the architect hadn't thought of, and the results were perfect. Every little detail was important to him, and he made sure we were happy with everything every step of the way. We so enjoyed working with Bryan and his crew. I would recommend him without qualification for anyone planning to do a major remodel.
Below is a list of some of what we appreciated working with Custom Construction:
-- Thoughtful and detailed estimate, including a spot-on time estimate of 6 months
-- Incredible communication with clients. Joanne, as the office manager, comes to every client meeting, takes notes, and makes sure everything gets taken care of. Having her involved made us feel like we were well looked after. She was also extremely helpful in suggesting where to look to find all the things we needed to pick out to finish the project off and to bounce ideas off of when I started to feel a bit overwhelmed by all the decisions.
-- Amazing sub-contractors. Every one of Bryan's sub-contractors was a joy to work with. They obviously took pride in their work, and the results show it.
-- Excellent follow-though. As expected, some small issues have arisen once the job was finished. Bryan has come out to address every one within a day or so. This dedication is so appreciated and much different from our experience 25 yrs ago during our first remodel when the contractor disappeared after getting the final payment.
In summary, we are so happy with our remodel. My husband and I love coming home to our new-old house. We wish we had done it years ago, and we are SO glad we found Custom Construction.
—Kerry Koller
"The craftsmanship of the work was superb"
The craftsmanship of the work was superb. The job was completed on time and under budget. We felt supported and listened to at every step of the process. We couldn't be more happy with our experience and would be happy to amplify any aspect of our experience if that would be helpful. It's a pleasure to recommend Custom Construction without qualification.
— Carolyn (Patty) Blum
“The finished work is beautiful and we still receive compliments from the neighbours months after completion”
We were pleased with the work, professionalism, timeliness, and communication. I was particularly happy with your ability to communicate over email (something vital for busy people like us). The finished work is beautiful and we still receive compliments from the neighbours months after completion. I’ve referenced Custom to other friends working on projects in and out of the city.
— Homeowner, Day Street
“Their work was professional and precise”
Custom Construction was able to remodel my unit on time and within budget. Their work was professional and precise and were able to problem solve issues that I myself was unaware of.
—Homeowner, 9th Avenue
"We gained important benefits due to his many skills that also produced practical, cost saving solutions"
Besides being an excellent contractor, Bryan is also an amazing problem solver and client advocated before the actual construction even begins. During the planning phase for our seismic retrofit project on a 4 story, 9-unit apartment building over ground level garages, Bryan patiently worked with the structural engineers on our behalf. In fact, he even solved some of the problems the engineers were struggling with by using his vast experience and keen eye for details.
We gained important benefits due to his many skills that also produced practical, cost saving solutions. As well, Bryan worked diligently with the City of San Francisco permit agencies and design review departments. Without his expert help at every level, from planning, to building, to timely completion, we would have been lost in a bureaucratic sea way over our heads. Happily, the accuracy and skill needed to meet all official requirements and mandates was easily resolved by Bryan’s patient pursuit of perfection.
So, without a doubt, we can truly recommend Bryan and Custom Construction for any job large or small. Every area of our project got his expert knowledge and personal service. The job was completed to all specifications, and his wonderful crew of carpenters and sub-contractors got the job done on time.
And, to add to our list of appreciation for Bryan’s professional help, he came to our rescue once again. Just as the retrofit project was finishing, the City’s Dept. of Public Works issued a citation for us to fix sidewalks and curbs due to tree root damage. Without thinking twice, Bryan came to our aid. Fortunately, he had a small window between jobs and could take care of this urgent matter with his usual good humor and focused work ethic. In no time at all, he had contacted the City for a review and reduction in scope as well as called an Urban Forest representative for a site visit to consult with them for better sidewalk tree space.
Next, he arranged for the permit and the cement contractor and, along with his own crew, coordinated the job from start to successful finish. His ability to evaluate a situation for the best course of action once again saved us some money. And, his creative thinking greatly enhanced an otherwise mundane city sidewalk by building very attractive tree guards.
His original design added an extra Custom Construction touch along the streets of San Francisco. Bravo for all jobs well done! You and your talented team, which includes Joanne in the office as well as the members of the construction crew, are the best. We look forward to working with you again and again. Thank you.
—Marianne Q., Vedanta Society of Northern California
“Bryan's solution were creative and showed a real understanding of how to deal with all those Victorian problems/quirk”
My husband and I worked with Bryan Keane at Custom Construction for an extensive remodel and modernization of our Victorian home. We were especially pleased with the beautiful carpentry and finish work throughout all aspects of the project. Bryan helped harmonize our desire for a modern style through much of the home while retaining portions and details of the original Victorian style. Bryan and his team kept us up to date on the project with regular meetings, which included highlighting newly discovered issues and making sure that we were happy with the ongoing work. When there was a problem or complication, Bryan was always ready with suggestions on how to resolve it. Bryan's solution were creative and showed a real understanding of how to deal with all those Victorian problems/quirks - he was able to save our original parlor pocket doors and get them to open and shut again. Even though it was at the height of the remodel boom, Bryan had his team of subcontractors lined up and ready to go, and the project was never held up due to inspections. All the little details were important to us and to Custom Construction. His team, especially Joanne, kept all those details organized and on track - from demolition to making sure that even the doorstops were correct. It was a real pleasure to work with the Custom Construction team, and we highly recommend them to anyone planning a major remodel.
— Susan Haines
“ Bryan listened carefully to my vision and then used his expertise to make it structurally possible”
I wanted an in-law apartment in the back of our ground floor garage. There were few windows and all sorts of pipes running across the ceiling. A thick brick fireplace wall cut the space in the center. Bryan transformed the space. He put a door on the side of the house for a back entrance, ran stairs up to the first floor by cutting into the back of a built-in cabinet upstairs and opening out into a former closet, cut out a window for a bathroom and raised all the pipes up together by the brick wall so that the rest of the ceiling could be higher by a foot. Then he built book shelves around the brick wall making it partition off the kitchenette from the living area. He also extended the wall into the garage on one side to include another window for more light. I had so much fun; Bryan had such imagination and could envision what would work and so he created beautiful, light space.
We worked together as a team. Bryan listened carefully to my vision and then used his expertise to make structurally possible. He is a perfectionist when it comes to detail; the work was stunning. I get so many compliments from my friends and guests. I am now getting ready to have him redo my bathroom. Can’t wait!! Oh, and one more thing, and very important–it was affordable.
— Ruth V.
“Naturally, the workmanship of Bryan’s team is key to their success, but another important factor for us was having an easy, straight forward and direct working relationship”
We just bought our dream home in Sept. 2006, a classic San Franciscan Victorian built in 1896. Like many Victorians it was in need of major renovation. It had been a rental for over 13 years and the kitchen and bathroom were unusable, ugly creations from 1960s.
We started looking for a contractor who had experience working on Victorians, understood our needs, took pride in their work, were not afraid to give suggestions or recommendations and understood that they needed to work within the budget agreed upon and finish before the new year. That gave them 2.5 months to finish the job. We decided to partner with Bryan and Custom Construction.
The tasks set for Bryan and his team:
Gut and renovate the kitchen-they did a phenomenal job and manage to keep the old wood framing in tact, so it could be reused. They also extended the kitchen into a sunroom area that was previously separate from the kitchen by a wall, window and door. It was during this phase that I realized what a great contractor I had chosen. Bryan and his team (plumber and electrician in particular) came up with many suggestions that resulted in making this area the ‘most admired and lived in space’ in our house. It was clear that he and his team took pride in their work and wanted the final result to look polished.
The next big project was to gut and renovate the master bathroom, turning it from something quite scary into what is now often referred to as a ‘spa bathroom’. Again, Bryan and his team (tiler and plumber) came up with suggestions that gave us our dream bathroom. Then half way through the project we decided to put in a second bathroom by converting part of a large hallway closet and the open space next to it. This again was a success.
Naturally, the workmanship of Bryan’s team is key to their success, but another important factor for us was having an easy, straight forward and direct working relationship. Bryan is very easy to work with, he is very responsible and has good follow up. He and his team brought both creativity and pride to all the work they did and the finished product showed this clearly and as promised, they finished on time and within budget!
We are looking forward to working with Bryan and his team again.
— Homeowner, Sutter Street