Ascent Contracting Inc

We hired Ascent Contracting in 2020 to substantially rebuild an existing house into a custom home. While we ran into many problems and cost overruns throughout the process, that is not the worst part. Shorly after moving into our house and before Ascent ever finished the punch list to complete construction, we noticed water damage in our boys' closet that shares a wall with the primary shower. We let Ascent know immediately, but it took them weeks to respond. When they finally came out to investigate where the water was coming from and cut a hole in the wall, water fell out of the wall cavity. The insulation disintegrated from the water. The 2x4’s were saturated with water and black mold. Ascent promised to fix the problem. However, the wall just sat there open to our boys' bedroom for over a month before their tiler came to look at it. He then decided to tear up and remove the tile (which was covered in black mold) without taking precautions or setting up any containment. After seeing the extensive damage and lack of concern for spreading mold throughout the house, we called a mold remediation company. They came out and tested our bathroom and found stachybotrys (toxic black mold). They also tested the other bathrooms. EVERY SINGLE BATHROOM had significant water damage!!! Every shower that was installed by Ascent Contracting was installed improperly and had water damage allowing mold to grow throughout our house without us knowing. To make matters worse, this was in May 2023. It has been 2 years. We had to move out of our dream house, throw most things away, and deal with several kids getting very sick. We have lived in an Airbnb for 20 months, first expecting Ascent to fix the problem like they promised, but they never did. We had to wait until we could take on the remediation and rebuilding OURSELVES because ASCENT DID NOTHING TO FIX THEIR MISTAKES AND HAS PAID US $0. They have refused to take responsibility for their incompetence. As we have been remediating ourselves the problems they caused, we have uncovered many more things they did wrong that we have had to fix, like our kitchen floor starting to sink below our kitchen island because of faulty construction and water coming through the exterior wall because they put our deck on the side of the house wrong. We have tried to go to mediation for 8 months and they can never seem to agree on a date. Steer clear of this company! If you have used them in the past and a family member is sick, I highly encourage you to call a mold testing company. Either way, I highly encourage you to have your home tested for hidden water damage.

"We chose Ascent because we got a good feeling when we first met Justin, our impression was that he was responsive, integritous and honest. It was important to us to be able to trust our contractor to have our best interest in mind as we were coming to collective decisions. We really enjoyed working with Ascent, it was a project of passion, on what we believe will be our 'forever home', so we were super appreciative of Justin and his thoroughness, his attention to detail. We felt very supported every step of the way in the process. The practical experience we had with the whole Ascent team was a true joy, it was wonderful to have the team be a part of our lives for the better part of a year. They were the kind of people that we liked having in our home, it was a joy to see progress on the home because we knew we would run into the guys and they were a big part of the positive experience. The gift they gave us through their craftsmanship and their attention to detail, we are experiencing and enjoying daily. We would highly recommend Ascent Contracting, Inc."

"What we liked most about working with Ascent, was their care for getting the job done well and how that reflected in their craftsmanship and carried throughout the project. Our kitchen and bath remodel project went exactly as planned, and we always knew when the Ascent team was coming and what they would do that day. We also really got to know the specific people that were involved in the project and they clearly cared not only about the work that they were doing but also us. During the planning phase of our project, the original layout of our kitchen was changed significantly. Justin and his team designed the kitchen and included things we didn't originally think of, and it worked very well on the drawing board and more importantly, it worked very well when it came to be. The Ascent team was highly organized and put a lot on paper for us to see with associated costs and they maintained this organization throughout the project. The subcontractors brought in were high-quality people and we felt confident in all the work being done. Allison, the Ascent Interior Designer, was wonderful to work with and really picked up on our style right away, she was so helpful with her suggestions and so positive with everything we chose. If you choose to work with Ascent, you will be treated like family and no doubt have a good experience from top to bottom. We highly recommend Ascent Contracting, Inc."

"What we liked most about working with Ascent, was their care for getting the job done well and how that reflected in their craftsmanship and carried throughout the project. Our kitchen and bath remodel project went exactly as planned, and we always knew when the Ascent team was coming and what they would do that day. We also really got to know the specific people that were involved in the project and they clearly cared not only about the work that they were doing but also us. During the planning phase of our project, the original layout of our kitchen was changed significantly. Justin and his team designed the kitchen and included things we didn't originally think of, and it worked very well on the drawing board and more importantly, it worked very well when it came to be. The Ascent team was highly organized and put a lot on paper for us to see with associated costs and they maintained this organization throughout the project. The subcontractors brought in were high-quality people and we felt confident in all the work being done. Allison, the Ascent Interior Designer, was wonderful to work with and really picked up on our style right away, she was so helpful with her suggestions and so positive with everything we chose. If you choose to work with Ascent, you will be treated like family and no doubt have a good experience from top to bottom. We highly recommend Ascent Contracting, Inc."

When we first met Ascent, Justin Bride walked us through the whole construction process, what it would be like to work with his team, and also the timeline from the permit acquisition to the finished product, the education he gave us prior to the build was very valuable. We were impressed with the incredible responsiveness, clear communication and quality work we received on our project. The Ascent team including Justin Ratsliff and Chuck were so easy to work with and very respectful and communicative and collaborative. There was clearly a lot of care taken with the entire construction process as well as the craftsmanship put into our house. We were grateful for the quick response time with any issues that came up. We will wholeheartedly recommend Ascent to friends and colleagues.

We did a major remodel - popped the top, adding 2 bathrooms. We've done other projects and this was the biggest and the 'easiest.' Ascent's team was professional, courteous, organized and responsive every step of the way. We are now planning another project with them less than a year out from completing this one - that says it all.

We hired Ascent in 2015 originally intending to add a master suite to the back of our house. The project evolved into a pop top project, a first floor renovation and a basement remodel giving us 3,000 square feet of newly remodeled space. We were impressed with Justin and his team right away and especially appreciated the high level of communication we received. We found Justin's knowledge to be vast and we valued how he was able to think through the project strategically with us. He suggested multiple ways to approach the build and curated the design to get us a finished product we love. Ascent clearly values a transparent, trusting and respectful relationship with clients, as we have received numerous check-in calls and small fixes in the years after our project was completed. I highly recommend Ascent Contracting, Inc. for home remodeling and additions if you want an enjoyable construction process and incredible craftsmanship.

We chose to hire Ascent Contracting, Inc. because we liked owner Justin Bride's demeanor upon first meeting him. Justin is honest and candid and we appreciated the depth of information he gave us before we even started the project. Justin and his team have an incredible ability to dive into the details of the budget and intricacies of each space while also conveying the big picture and process through conversation and brainstorming sessions. I can remember how much time the Ascent team spent running through the details and the special elements that make each room unique. We have some unusual features in our home that we wanted to preserve to maintain the era of the house and at the same time we wanted the remodel to feel fresh and new. We were impressed with Justin's ability to give honest feedback and simultaneously incorporate our wishes to help us get to the best possible finished project. Every day our family appreciates the craftsmanship and beautiful work by Ascent to truly create spaces that are usable as well as aesthetically pleasing. Five plus years later, we are still loving our home, the quality of the work is top notch and we love and experience our remodel every day. We made the right decisions, both on the design features and on the team that we chose to carry out our vision. - Angela C., Berkeley/Highlands neighborhood