We make your space – a home.
Specializing in kitchen renovations, bath remodels, and tile rejuvenation. Taking the worry out of remodels with a personal touch.
Serving the San Francisco Bay Area Since 2001
Full Service Contractor
All trade and finish work done in house with very few subcontractors along the way. We help with the permit process – in many cases, permits are available in one day.
Custom Cabinet Work
Sometimes there isn’t an off-the-shelf storage solution available. We work with your space and designs to make every area of your kitchen or bath functional and beautiful.
Custom Tile Work
Depending on the material, we can fabricate porcelain or natural stone edging and custom layouts to fit your design. Add some personal touches.
Remodel or Refresh
We find a scope that is right for your needs. We want to give you the best return on your investment.
Reliability
We work closely with you to fit your budget and schedule. We answer emails and reply to texts. You will get regular updates about your project throughout. The more you know about the process, the smoother the project will be.
Licensed and Insured
CSLB # 908064. Liability insurance and Workers’ Comp Certificate available upon request. EPA Lead Safe Certified
TAKE A LOOK AT SOME OF THE WORK WE’VE DONE
KITCHENS SET THE TONE FOR THE ENTIRE HOUSE
Your kitchen is the centerpiece of your home and the cornerstone of entertaining friends, family and neighbors. Make it shine!
YOUR MOST PERSONAL SPACE – THE BATHROOM
Your bathroom is the most personal space in your home. Make it reflect your individual style and tastes. Create a space that you love!
See more of our work on our Gallery page:
We love happy customers.
“I have found Mike to be totally professional and conscientious, and something of a perfectionist. His tile work, particularly, is meticulous. I have recommended him to many of my friends and clients. Every one of the folks who have called on him through my referrals has been pleased with his work, his work ethic and his ability to explain what needs doing, and what options are available, clearly and carefully. I wholeheartedly and unequivocally recommend Mike Rudd.”
“I highly recommend Mike Rudd for general contractor work. Mike redid our kitchen and I found him to be very professional, courteous, predictable and on time! He was very easy to work with and kept us updated on his progress with the kitchen and what would be happening next… and he stuck to his schedule. His work was excellent, and if something was giving him a problem (crooked walls, etc.), he stuck with it until things fit. His prices were very reasonable and fair. I would use him again in a heartbeat!”
“I own a four-plex and have enlisted the help of Mike for the kitchen or bath in nearly every unit. There are a few things you should know:
1) Because he’s cheaper than most, scheduling can be tricky, but it’s worth the wait. In my experience, you might find someone else with more availability but they probably will not be as good.
2) [He has] excellent pricing. We’ve gone with cheaper contractors, but quality suffered. We’ve gone with significantly more expensive contractors and quality did not significantly improve.
3) Mike is a great communicator, and you’ll never have to wonder what the next steps will be.
4) He’s creative. If you’ve got an issue with unexpected hardware, material or a weird space, Mike is analytical enough to make it work.
5) He’s super organized and tidy.
He’s always our first point of contact. You will like working with him.”
“I had a MAJOR problem with my bathroom sink detaching from my countertop. Mike was installing a new kitchen at my son’s place and was recommended. I could not be happier. He’s absolutely great.
Always get’s in touch when he says he will, shows up on time every time, is thoroughly professional, works clean, and is awesome in every way. He gave me a reasonable estimate and incredibly, came in well under the price he had quoted. When does that ever happen?
Finding a good honest contractor is harder than finding a good honest husband! Mike is great.”
“Mike Rudd did excellent and professional work on our house. We are so happy with the newly installed warm floor. I can’t get over the tricky tiling Mike was able to do: curves around the tub, several right angle cuts to go around the two door frames, and the circle under the toilet. He is exceptionally skilled. Mike was always on time and, if a change in time was needed, he would always let us know ahead.”
What should I know before hiring a contractor?
It’s a process. The more you put into it, the more you’ll get out.
Here are a few things I recommend and discuss with my clients.
Outline your project and establish a budget
Remind yourself that this is part of your home and your personalized space. Don’t short change yourself, but carefully plan your project well ahead of time. Think about your vision for your space. Think about what you like (layout, accessibility, window position), what you don’t like (low light, inaccessible space, clunky layout) and make a wish list.
If you can, mark some items higher or lower priority. Don’t think about whether something is too outlandish or potentially too expensive. You may be surprised at some of the solutions that are available today. Many clients will work with a designer who in most cases will work with you on your cabinet layout, countertop, tile, flooring, lighting and color scheme. I have worked with Kitchensync in San Francisco and Ecohome Design in Berkeley. Both have an incredible array of cabinets and countertops available and top notch customer service.
Before you meet with your designer, think about style. Do you want a look that is period correct for your building, or do you like a more modern look? What materials are you partial to? Do you like the classic look of natural lumber or more contemporary painted or thermofoil finishes? Think about your needs and your lifestyle. Do you have kids? Do you entertain frequently? Do you keep kosher? Talk to neighbors and friends about their projects and find out what has worked and not worked for them. Get photos of
materials and designs you like from magazines or other publications. Scour the internet. Sites like Houzz and Pinterest are gold mines for ideas.
If possible, speak to a few contractors to get rough estimates for labor. You are best off if they give you figures assuming they will do a full down-to-the-studs renovation. You will be in a much better position to budget your project if you think it will be more expensive than it actually is. Prioritize wish list items and be prepared to pare down your list.
Several sets of eyes will be more likely to give you good design ideas or spot potential problems. Find out what level of work will be necessary – if the wiring and plumbing are up to date, you are already way ahead of the game.
Figure out how much you are willing and able to spend. Keep in mind you will be paying for labor, materials and fixtures and that your time involved with the process is worth something. Cash savings are generally a better value than HELOCs or credit cards because of interest rates. If you think you can hold off for six months or a year, saving even $500 a month will net you $3,000-$6,000 to put toward your project.
Once you have established a scope, reconcile it with your budget. If the two do not agree, revise your scope or increase your budget. I typically put together a project that is about 80% of the budget. That way, any overruns are mostly accounted for. Every job has unforeseen complications and last minute additions. Running out of money in the middle of the project is not an option – cheap finish materials and rushed labor will leave you wondering where all your money went. Some contractors, when given a budget of $25,000 for a project, will bring back a scope and a bid for $27,000. A 10% overrun puts the project at close to $30,000. As you might imagine, this can be quite stressful. A $20,000 project with a 15% overrun takes the total to $23,000. For any project, prices will vary widely depending on the scope of the job, quality and amount of materials, and unexpected complications. I have redone kitchens with new flooring, cabinets and counters for about $15,000 for a small rental unit on up to a space that cost over $100,000.
Meet with your contractors again and outline your project. Make sure you know exactly what you are getting and who is responsible for handling and purchasing what.
Stick to your plan, but be flexible
Predictability in your project is your friend, as is adaptability. Repeated design changes get expensive very quickly as work has to be undone, corrected, then brought back to a workable state – you are paying for the work three times.
Be careful if you are undecided about your components – items such as stoves often have very specific places where the gas and electrical access should be placed.
We will know in advance what the scope of your job is likely to be but expect the unexpected. Every job has its unforeseen hitches. Be ready to think quickly and be decisive.
Good communication is paramount
Ask and answer questions. Offer and solicit feedback.
The more you know about your project, the smoother things will run. The more your contractor knows about your project and what you want, the smoother things will run. If you have questions, ask. If you are happy and pleasantly surprised, let the contractor and crew know. That positive energy goes a long way and works in both directions. If your crew is working with pride, it will come out in the finished product. Answer questions if your contractor has them, particularly for design and finish detail questions. Answer texts, emails and phone calls. If possible, avoid phone calls and texts during off hours. A good contractor will send status reports and set up meetings to ask and answer questions. Do not hesitate to ask, “What do you need from me?”.Some decisions have to be made quickly. Be prepared to research, delegate or defer. If you do not know the answer to a question, say so.
Keep an open mind and a positive attitude
The process will be expensive, obtrusive and time consuming – do not let anyone tell you otherwise. There will be dust in places you never thought possible. You will almost certainly grow weary of people and noise. There will be tools and materials in every corner of your property for the duration of the project.
Keep focused on the finished product and how much better things will be than when you started. Each day on the project is one day closer to the end.
Contact Us
More Info
(510) 703-1657
