---
title: "Universal Developing — General Contractors | Houzz"
canonical_html_url: https://www.houzz.com/professionals/general-contractors/universal-developing-pfvwus-pf~1350776355
markdown_url: https://www.houzz.com/md/professionals/pf~1350776355.md
entity_type: LocalBusiness
business_name: "Universal Developing"
category: ["General Contractors"]
image: https://st.hzcdn.com/fimgs/2b9349560005a3d7_3276-w400-h400-b1-p10--.jpg
address: "871 Industrial Rd, Unit A, San Carlos, California 94070, United States"
latitude: 37.4969
longitude: -122.2674
phone: "(650) 591-7667"
website: http://www.udincgc.com
rating: 4.3
review_count: 7
best_of_houzz_awards: 1
followers: 79
last_updated: 2026-08-17
---

# Universal Developing

Original Houzz profile: [Universal Developing](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/general-contractors/universal-developing-pfvwus-pf~1350776355)

## Professional summary

- **Primary category:** General Contractors
- **Location:** San Carlos, CA
- **Serves:** San Francisco, San Mateo, Daly City, Redwood City, Mountain View, Palo Alto, South San Francisco, San Bruno, Pacifica, Menlo Park, Foster City, Los Altos, Burlingame, San Carlos, East Palo Alto, Belmont, Millbrae, Stanford, Half Moon Bay, Hillsborough, Los Altos Hills, Atherton, Portola Valley, Highlands-Baywood Park, West Menlo Park
- **Houzz rating:** 4.3 out of 5 (7 reviews)
- **Best of Houzz:** 1 award (2014), for Service.

## About

### Houzz Badges

- Star Houzzer
- Recommended on Houzz
- 10,000 Ideabook Saves

Established in 1988

Universal Developing, Inc. (UD) General Contractors was formed in 1988 to provide high-quality home remodeling services to clients on the San Francisco peninsula. Since that time we have completed hundreds of remodeling projects for both residential and commercial clients.

### Services Provided

- Home Remodeling
- Kitchen Remodeling
- Bathroom Remodeling
- General Contracting
- Home Additions
- Custom Homes
- New Home Construction
- Home Extensions
- Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)
- Outdoor Kitchen Construction
- Home Restoration
- Porch Design & Construction
- Pool House Design & Construction
- Project Management
- Roof Replacement
- Attic Conversion
- Concrete Construction
- Demolition
- Wine Cellar Installation

### Areas Served

- San Francisco
- San Mateo
- Daly City
- Redwood City
- Mountain View
- Palo Alto
- South San Francisco
- San Bruno
- Pacifica
- Menlo Park
- Foster City
- Los Altos
- Burlingame
- San Carlos
- East Palo Alto
- Belmont
- Millbrae
- Stanford
- Half Moon Bay
- Hillsborough
- Los Altos Hills
- Atherton
- Portola Valley
- Highlands-Baywood Park
- West Menlo Park

## Business Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Business Name | Universal Developing |
| Address | 871 Industrial Rd, Unit A, San Carlos, California 94070, United States |
| Phone | (650) 591-7667 |
| Website | http://www.udincgc.com |
| Followers on Houzz | 79 |

## Contact

- **Houzz profile:** [Universal Developing](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/general-contractors/universal-developing-pfvwus-pf~1350776355)
- **Website:** http://www.udincgc.com
- **Phone:** (650) 591-7667

## Credentials

**Certifications & Awards**
- Lead Certified

- **Best of Houzz:** 1 award (2014), for Service.

## Reviews

**Overall rating: 4.3 out of 5 — 7 reviews**

### All 7 reviews

**★ — jlf36, May 2015**

> We got an initial estimate from Guy when deciding to make an offer on our condo.  Based on this estimate, we decided to buy. Dealing with the bid manager Walt was extremely unpleasant as he made us feel like he was doing us a favor.  It took 6 weeks to get an estimate after they had our plans.  The estimate was 2.5 times the original estimate, despite the fact that we decided to only do a subset of the work.

**Comment from Universal Developing:**

> During the pre-purchase site inspection the client and Guy Harper, owner Universal Developing, Inc., discussed a very limited scope of work of which he provided a very loose budgetary amount conditional upon a full set of architectural plans, finish selections, and engineering details.
> After we received the newly created architectural plans, the scope of work and finish details had changed and expanded several times what was initially discussed. The structural requirements had expanded quite significantly as well.
> During the bid process, the owners changed the scope of work requiring the project to be re-bid for all the major components. Universal Developing provided a complete 6 page bid breakdown for the requested work to the owners without any communication back from them. Instead of asking for clarifications, the owners decided to write the stated review.
> The estimating team at Universal Developing always provides a no cost complete comprehensive proposal after a site visit listing all work to be performed for a fixed price.
> Universal Developing is committed to working within a client’s budget in order to achieve the desired results.  Communication and stated expectations are key to any professional relationship.
>
> Universal Developing, Inc.

**★★★★★ — Julie Delagnes, Jan. 2014**

> They did a complete home remodel for me in 1990 and then my Master bath again in 2001. They did a great job on time and within my budget. He ever I have other projects I always call Guy, he is awesome!

**★★★★★ — hankstern, June 2013**

> I’ve used Universal Developing for a variety of residential projects, both small (minor repairs, modifications and additions), to major renovations (full house remodel).  In each of the projects, the project manager and company took the appropriate amount of time to clarify and define the scope, had a reasonable project budget set up, started and completed the projects on-time, and was very transparent in the change control process.  Each of the final deliverables far exceeded our exceptions for quality of workmanship and value.  Our governmental planning and building divisions are some of the most difficult to work with in the regional area.  Universal was able to consistently and successfully negotiate the processes, so there were no hang-ups or project delays due to code, planning or building requirements from the County.  We look forward to working with Universal Development on many more future projects.

**★★★★★ — saratogarebuild, May 2013**

> Guy Harper and his team at Universal Developing helped us rebuild our home after a significant fire.  Guy was instrumental in assisting us with the insurance adjuster, city and bank inspectors, and even kept our neighbors happy during the year long rebuild.  Guy and his team far exceeded our expectations with the quality of work, staying on schedule and completing the rebuild within our budget.  We highly recommend Universal Developing and are grateful for their services.

**★★★★★ — stephanieandjesse, April 2013**

> We used Guy and Universal Developing (along with his design partner Debra Shannon from Symmetry Designs) to design and build our home remodel.   We are EXTREMELY pleased with the results.
>
> We closed escrow on our house in early December 2012 and did a complete remodel of the original 1962 house - floor to ceiling and every room including the kitchen and two bathrooms.
>
> Guy and Debra met with us before we closed escrow to get rough ideas of our project scope and budget, then met with us several times in December to refine the scope, recommend ideas and materials.  Construction started on January 2nd and we moved in on March 28th.  Completely remodeled home in just under 3 months.
>
> We remodeled the kitchen, bathrooms, and laundry room, refinished the existing hardwood floors in the living/dining room and extended the hardwood from into the kitchen and entryway, replaced all of the windows and sliding glass doors (went from single pane aluminum to double pane Milgard windows and Andersen french doors), replaced all of the interior doors, added several recessed lights, upgraded the electrical outlets and light switches, and installed all new trim, crown molding and baseboards.  The interior and exterior were repainted, and the carpets were all replaced in the bedrooms... all before we moved in.
>
> Guy and Debra worked very well together to keep us up to date on progress, make suggestions for project improvements to us that created an overall much more positive end result and saved overall costs based on discounts Debra was able to pass on to us from her suppliers for materials and cost efficiencies of doing the entire house at once.
>
> Debra selected all of our hardware, fixtures, appliances, granite, tile, carpet, and paint colors and more.  She would typically give us 3-5 options based on what we told her we were looking for and then she would narrow down the choices from there until we selected each final piece and color, and she also used a mix of local suppliers and ecommerce merchants to give us the best selection, service and price based on her discounts and available selection.
>
> We truly are happy.  From buying an original 1962 home that was behind on routine maintenance, completely out of date, and had become quite an eyesore to turning it into a very modern, efficient, and comfortable home for our family, this was a compressed, cost-effective project with a very positive outcome.  The only thing we didn't do was replace the roof, garage door and driveway.... we're saving that for phase two when we hope to one day add a second story.
>
> We couldn't thank Debra, Guy and the whole Universal Developing team enough.  We both work full time, travel, and have a blended step-family of 4 children.  We are just too darn busy to manage a remodel, and Debra and Guy ran the entire project for us and completed it in 3 months.

**★★★★ — Diane Zastrow, March 2013**

> We did a complete rebuild of our house from the foundation up (basically new construction). UD was easy to work with and open to our ideas and many changes.  They also guided us through this very difficult and unexpected process.  We are enamored with our new house! There are minor details that could have been better. There was a miscommunication with the flooring install, so that delayed the project. Although, the house was ready before the contract date.  Also, it was difficult to have a handle on details at the end since things happened quickly. Both my husband and I were working full time, so it was a challenge to coordinate schedules.

**★★★★★ — krissykitchen, Nov. 2012**

> Fabulous company! We've used Guy Harper and his crew to completely rebuild two decks that are 20 feet off the ground. They did such a great job that the following year, we hired them to build a front deck for us. . They did a fantastic job. Guy  is responsive, on-budget, and very easy to work with. He also has an excellent eye for design, and can hand-draw things that you might only be able to describe. As well,  they have the best guys to work with---friendly, on time every day at 8 a.m., hard-working and fun to be around. They do excellent work.
>
> Currently they are completely residing my house, and have just installed 7 sliding doors with transoms. It's going great.

## Selected projects

- [Custom Home (San Bruno)](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/custom-home-san-bruno-pj-vj~218348)
  - Location: Not specified
  - Photos: 8
- [Kitchen & Bathroom Remodel (Menlo Park, Ca)](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/kitchen-and-bathroom-remodel-menlo-park-ca-pj-vj~200611)
  - Location: Not specified
  - Photos: 8
- [Interior Remodel (Palo Alto, CA)](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/interior-remodel-palo-alto-ca-pj-vj~62916)
  - Location: Palo Alto, CA
  - Photos: 19
- [Exterior/ Interior Remodel (Los Altos, CA)](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/exterior-interior-remodel-los-altos-ca-pj-vj~62908)
  - Location: Los Altos, CA
  - Photos: 19
- [Exterior Siding, Portola Valley](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/exterior-siding-portola-valley-pj-vj~155823)
  - Location: Portola Valley, CA
  - Photos: 4
- [Deck (Emerald Hills, CA)](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/deck-emerald-hills-ca-pj-vj~62936)
  - Location: Emerald Hills, CA
  - Photos: 22
- [Interior Remodel (Atherton, CA)](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/interior-remodel-atherton-ca-pj-vj~64258)
  - Location: Not specified
  - Photos: 20
- [Kitchen & Bath Remodel (Redwood City, CA)](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/kitchen-and-bath-remodel-redwood-city-ca-pj-vj~64253)
  - Location: Not specified
- [Kitchens](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/kitchens-pj-vj~63005)
  - Location: Not specified
  - Photos: 48
- [Bathrooms](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/bathrooms-pj-vj~62989)
  - Location: Not specified
  - Photos: 66
- [Remodel/ Addition (Redwood City, CA)](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/remodel-addition-redwood-city-ca-pj-vj~62897)
  - Location: Not specified
  - Photos: 18

[See all 11 projects](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/general-contractors/universal-developing-pfvwus-pf~1350776355)

## Ideabooks

- [MINDUS/ENGLEMORE](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/93221399/list/mindus-englemore) — 1 idea

[See all 1 ideabook](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/users/universaldeveloping)

## Community Q&A

**Q: Amazing granite!** *(in Photo Questions)*

Could I have the name of this granite?  Looks like some I've seen from Africa.

A: Please contact the designer at dshannon@symmetrydesigns.com, and she will be able to answer your questions.

**Q: Love the floor! Who is the manufacturer and what is the wood species?** *(in Photo Questions)*

A: Material was supplied by the owner, our notes mention that owner was going with Garrison Hardwood.

**Q: What is material on countertops?  Looks like Corian Saffron.** *(in Photo Questions)*

I think I have picked out Corian Saffron but haven't gotten a good idea of exact color.  This yellow looks just right.  But of course photos are deceiving.  Would love this if the color is represented right.  Thanks so much for an answer.

A: Please contact Debra Shannon at Symmetry Designs (designer) at info@symmetrydesigns.com, and she will be able to help you with all your questions.

**Q: Love railings.  Where did you order them? Thanks.** *(in Photo Questions)*

A: Feeney.com. 
Aluminum Horizontal Cable Railing, Series 400

**Q: love the joyful colors! are the cabinet doors (green, blue and yellow) painted or dyed?** *(in Photo Questions)*

A: Symmerty Designs (the desinger) will be able to help you with your question. Debra can be reached at: info@symmetrydesigns.com.

---

*Source: Houzz professional profile. Reflects the profile as of 2026-08-17.*