The Urban Builder

Kevin and his team did an incredible job on our window project. If you are looking for a great general contractor who will help to make your vision a realty, look no further than The Urban Builder!

We worked with Kevin Laiks, owner and general contractor, on a home renovation. Our reno involved a full rebuild of the kitchen down to the studs, and rehabbing other areas including electrical, plumbing, new and refinished floors, and creating a laundry area out of an unused nook in a hallway. Kevin is wonderful to work with, as is his team. Clear communication was key to working through the occasional issues that arose and keeping us sane as we lived in the house through the project. We would work with Kevin again-and in fact, we are, as we have Phase 2 of the project planned.

I had recently inherited a very rundown victorian in SF and when I decided to remodel the house I of course asked around to friends who I knew had had work done. Two friends of mine who had recently redone their entire house whole-heartedly recommended The Urban Builder and I'm so glad they did! Their bid was very competitive and I could tell right away Kevin and his crew of subs and carpenters could get the job done. It's just a feeling when your are meeting very capable people. The project lasted about 6 months and included adding another bedroom and bathroom.. And being that the house was built in 1905 and hadn't been maintained in the most thorough manner there was a lot of work to do. Kevin's team was incredibly reliable and efficient and I really liked working with all of them and seeing everyone as the project progressed. Kevin was very upfront and honest about different issues that came up during the project and I felt I was in very good hands. At the end I was extremely satisfied with the result and have even used The Urban Builder for various projects recently including a new hardwood deck. 5 stars all the way.

We gutted an old house and did some major structural work. Took it down to the studs and replaced all electrical and plumbing. We did quite a bit of research on several contractors and found Kevin to be a genuine sort of guy and were pleased to find his bid very competitive. Kevin was very willing to work with us on changes or adjustments during the project. He made a few changes to the basement room and our new srairs that really made the end product so much better. His crew went above and beyond making our home exactly what we wanted. Kevin is a very nice guy to work with, even though he was dealing with folks who were 3000 miles away. We absolutely would recommend Kevin to anyone who is looking for a really knowledgeable, honest, and easy-to-work-with contractor. We love our home. Thanks, Kevin, for a job well done.

We used Urban Builder for a very large renovation project and give them a very high recommendation. Kevin, the owner, is practical, focused on customer service, and communicates extremely well. When unexpected things were found in the course of the project, he was always focused on finding a practical solution, not on figuring out a way to increase the budget. Above all, we grew to have great confidence in his integrity and found him dedicated to keeping us happy. We also really like Kevin and his crew personally; if you are doing a large project together, this matters. We would hire him again in a heartbeat (in fact, we probably will). We have also already referred him to several of our close friends and will continue to do so.

The Urban Builder's Kevin Laiks was head contractor for our extensive home renovation. We gutted the house down to the studs, added structural upgrades, enlarged the square footage of the house, renovated the kitchen and four bathrooms, put on a new roof, and much more. Kevin was great to work with from start to finish. He really listened to our concerns and questions we had, and also added his own ideas for improvements. A huge renovation project can bring on a lot of stress and Kevin made the experience as pleasant as possible. We are now fine-tuning some final details and Kevin has continued to be very responsive and responsible for his work. We would highly recommend him for a renovation of any size.

Kevin Laiks, the business owner, is a trusted, ethical contractor whom I always recommend to my neighbors and friends. He is managed the remodel of our kitchen. In addition, he help us with the overall design. He delivered on time and within budget. He has a good team but his oversight and management is what makes The Urban Builder result great.

Never had a better experience than working with Kevin. 3 projects and have referred him to many of my friends who have been equally as satisfied as I was. Communication After interviewing a lot of contractors I found Kevin--the only contractor who would take the time to talk to me, listen to my ideas and what I wanted, respond, have a dialogue etc. He not only says, but actually believes, that the client should get what they want! He communicated with me from start to finish and I always knew just what was going on and never felt out of the loop--I really appreciate this. He's also a very respectful guy, no talking down or making you feel like you're in the way or that what you want isn't important. Project Management I first had a test run using Kevin on a bathroom remodel and was so pleased I continued on to 2 more kitchens and another bathroom. 3 projects with Kevin and each one brought in as promised and on time. Kevin was always focused and I felt like all the projects were tightly managed by him. He laid out a schedule and stuck with it--no time was wasted and he managed to accommodate additional add ons to the project (new roof) not formerly planned on. Quality of Work Kevin and all his subs do top quality work both major structural and the finer finishes. As part of my 2 kitchen remodels he transformed old back porches into part of the main kitchen in a very practical and cost effective way with fantastic results. Professionalism Kevin is a pleasure to work with. He's cool and calm under pressure and instills confidence that he's just got it all under control. You really feel that he's working on your side and wants you to get what you want.

The short version: Kevin and his crew are AMAZING! I'd hire him for another project again in a heartbeat. The long version: After talking with 5 contractors, we selected Kevin to do a major house remodel that included gutting my entire house to the studs and rebuilding it with all new plumbing, electrical, floors, walls, ceilings, lighting, cabinets, tile, fixtures, etc. You get the picture. Our project took about 4 months from start to finish. While Kevin wasn't the absolute cheapest bid, his was highly competitive. The thing that sold us on Kevin was his excellent interpersonal skills and the other great references we talked to before deciding. Kevin started and finished on time and on budget. He was ultra reasonable about making changes and adjustments during our project, and even suggested several changes that greatly enhanced our finished project. Kevin has an eye for small details, but knows the big picture too. And, he's an all-around nice guy to work with on a project.

Kevin and his crew have remodeled most of our home, including bedrooms, bathrooms, floors and doors. We opted for a high-end modern design. Kevin met with us to go over everything and plan out the project in detail. His crew was responsible, timely and considerate. We recommended Kevin to our friends who were planning a room addition and kitchen expansion (which also turned out great). You simply can't go wrong with The Urban Builder. Great work all around. They knocked it out of the park again ala SF Giants winning the World Series style! See the pics that show how incredible our bath and bedrooms look! These pics speak for themselves and show what an amazing job he can do for you.

Executive Summary: Major remodel: Kevin gave a very reasonable bid, completed on-time and on budget to the highest quality with no unpleasant surprises. Detailed Version: Scope: We the middle flat in a 100-year-old Victorian, and needed to put in heat (it had none - needed to install a furnace, run gas and electric, drop the ceiling, run ducts, etc). Also, studs-out remodel of the kitchen and bathroom, and added a second half-bath. Result: Kevin has a ton of experience with old Victorians, so there were very few surprises (behind the walls, for example). He was able to match period details so everything looks like it belongs. His estimate was reasonable and he finished on-time and on-budget. There were minor scope increases along the way, and he never surprised us with any change orders. For major stuff, it was clear when something had been out of the original scope, and he gave us fair reasonable estimates to do that stuff too. He wasn't trying to nickel-and-dime us. He really went above-and-beyond to make sure we were happy with all the work. We'd recommend him highly!

Urban Builder updated a 1903 San Francisco Victorian single full bath and adjoining second parlor. Kevin Laiks was a pleasure to work with, performed with excellent quality and oversight. I would hire Urban Builder again without hesitation.