Ohana Builders

Kevin and John were great to work with. It started with the quoting process where Kevin spent over 3 hours of his own time going through the house in detail so that he could identify everything that needed to be done. As a result of that thoroughness, there were virtually no extra costs added as the project progressed. Since this is a rental property and we are not local I initially was concerned that I would not be on the premise making sure that work was progressing, but those concerns quickly evaporated as I saw the progress and was getting updates from Kevin every other day. Kevin itemizes all the work he does and hours spent on the site and provides that information to you. The work that was done looks great, it was a difficult job, there was removal of existing concrete floors, new floors were poured and some "bench" walls, new plumbing, electrical, framing, HVAC etc. Kevin and John turned a 3/2 into a 5/3 in 2.5 months. We will definitely use Ohana Builders again for any future work.

We liked Kevin from our first meeting. We met with 4 other general contractors but chose Ohana Builders because of Kevin's personal style, his eagerness to provide the best outcome and his willingness to make suggestions even if it makes the job more difficult for him. As with all home remodel jobs, we ran into some difficulties, and had to slightly modify some of the plans, but Kevin was totally professional and quickly provided solutions for each hurdle. He also was very careful when cutting drywall etc., to reduce additional finishing work. Job site was kept very clean, and he was very concientious with regard to our need to gain access to the house, being friendly and polite to neighbors. In fact many of our neighbors now know Kevin by name.

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The project went really well, the guys worked full days and kept me involved on all issues and changes. Every time there was a change or something needed my approval they were quick to let me know.

I have hired Kevin of Ohana Builders for multiple projects on my home, and have always been pleased with my experiences. Kevin is thorough, conscientious, trustworthy, and a talented carpenter/general contractor. Kevin has helped rebuild about 1/4 of my home which was damaged due to neglect from the prior owner. I was unable to be around to supervise the work, but everything went off without a hitch. He also helped build a deck on my home. Basically, I would trust him to do any projects that might be needed on a house, both exterior and interior projects. I have worked with many contractors in my years as a home owner, and Kevin is the only one who I plan to hire again. I really appreciate his attention to detail.

We had a leak from the Master Bath toliet that was ongoing for awhile. Kevin repaired all the subfloor damaged by the leak as well as the ceiling and insulation in the room below the toliet. Tore out all the bad pipe and prepaired it for our plumber to come in and re-pipe and install a new toliet. Very professional job done.

Other than the above information, no work was performed by this contractor. He simply came out as he committed to an estimate.

Kevin Hass and his partner John did an excellent job. Very professional, timely and are true craftsman at their trade. This was a multi- month project and they were a pleasure to have at out home. They also, had excellent referrals for the other trades needed such as painters and stone masons. We have also had them back for several smaller projects with the same professional results each time. I would highly recommend Ohanna builders for any project big or small.

Unfortunately, the tile job was not what we had hoped it would look like. Kevin?s attention to detail was not the same as ours, so the sub-contractor was called back twice to fix the obvious problem.

Kevin of Ohana Builders and his helper John replaced the deck material on one very large, irregularly shaped (i.e. somewhat challenging) deck and one small deck. They were professional, polite and pleasant to have at our job site. They worked all day every day until the job was complete, and cleaned the area at the end of the project. The workmanship was excellent; we would definitely hire Kevin/Ohana Builders again.

Ohana Builders was busy but once they came on site the work was done quickly and cleanly. The site was left cleaner than they found it.

The work performed was exactly as estimated and the quality was above expectations. We have never dealt with such a conscientious contractor before. Kevin Hass, owner, was in constant communication about work time, delivery of products needed. and completion. He worked with a very talented assistant, John, and two subs. The subs were from the same mold - timely, communicative, and performed excellent work. We would highly recommend Ohana Builders.

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Ohana builders is very trustworthy. I had contractors provide me bids from $5000 to $75,000. Ohana Builders worked with me to get an accurate cost estimate of the work and they stayed within the budget. They did all work according to County and State laws and did not take any short cuts as others had recommended. A good thing since the State inspector just happened to show up unannounced and not expected when inspecting another house in the area. He was happy to see all the permits were in order and all the work done correctly and according to plans. Kevin and John always cleaned up after a days work. Kevin also has a great artistic or design ability and was able to advise.

I was looking for a conscientious craftsman to rebuild our trex deck (with added improvements) that was lost in a devastating fire. Because I didn't have any recommendations for a contractor, I went to Hayward Lumber in San Luis Obispo, CA and asked them, "Can you recommend a contractor that is conscientious, well skilled, and one who cares about craftsmanship." Tom at Hayward Lumber gave me 3 names: the first being Kevin Hass of Ohana Builders. I asked Tom further about Kevin and decided to give Kevin a call to get a bid for my project. We made an appointment and 2 days later I met with Kevin at my home. The 2 1/2 hr. meeting with Kevin Hass did not go as well as I'd hoped. Kevin spent more time telling his "stories' rather than gathering information about what I wanted to see in my finished deck. He even told stories about how his worker often "gets under his skin"...and would ask his "worker" to "tell him a story.....I'm paying you...I like stories....tell me a fishing story." After about 20 minutes of listening to Kevin (rather than him listening to me), I began to realize that Kevin was more interested in himself and his past projects. I would have preferred that Kevin remained professional. Kevin never once asked me what I envisioned. After about 30 minutes I finally had to interrupt him and give him more information about my project and my vision. Even then when he was about to leave, we had never discussed in detail the additional projects to the deck (benches and stairs). I had to hold him up in order to give him more information pertaining to the additions to the project. I think the events turned awry when Kevin asked if I was getting other bids. It's obvious Kevin doesn't like bidding for a job. Early on when Kevin asked me if I was getting other bids, I was patient when he responded with, "I'm interviewing you as much as you're interviewing me." He also wanted to let me know that he, "spends a lot of time on bids" and that he "should charge $1000.00" for his office-time. These statements were given to me well BEFORE we actually got down to the business of measuring the deck, discussing the materials, discussing "issues" with current deck, and getting my visions for the improvements with the addition of stairs and benches. The meeting finally ended with me asking Kevin when he'd have a bid available so that I could submit it to the insurance company and start that whole process. He stated, "Because I put so much time into my bids, it'll take 3 weeks to get the bid to you." Then as he left, he told me that he'd have the bid available about in about 2 weeks." That was more encouraging. After waiting a week, I phoned Kevin to get an update on his bid process (since I'm anxious to see if it can be expedited for the insurance company). Kevin replied with a sigh, "To be honest, I haven't even thought about your bid. I have 8 bids in front of you." During our meeting, though he stated he had 5 bids in front of me, I told him I was anxious to get the bid into the insurance company since it will take about 2 weeks to get ok'd. We both were shooting for a December 1st start date (per Kevin's timeline) and we were 3 weeks out from that date. After listening to Kevin tell me all about how he has other people waiting, that's "he's committed to other bids", that he didn't know when he could get to me....etc., I finally asked him, "Do you want this job????" To my extreme surprise due to his seeming disinterest, He replied emphatically, "Yes!" "Then-with a sigh- he said, "I will try to get you the bid by Friday. I will give you a very rough number, but I can't guarantee it's accurate, but I can try." I asked, "Please give me an honest bid to make sure we have enough $$ from the insurance company to cover the project." It seemed Kevin wanted to spend as little time on my bid as possible since he simply wanted to call me with a number. I, in turn, requested an official bid sent to me in email to forward to my insurance company. I THINK WHAT FOLLOWS IS THE REAL CRUX OF KEVIN'S "ISSUE" WITH THE PROJECT - I believe. He told me, "If you are happy with bids from the other contractors, then I'd say go with one of them." I responded, "I'm not happy." He asked, "Well, who are the other contractors? I could be a nice guy and tell you if they are good or not." I felt he was being disingenuous and manipulative here. I feel he truly was still trying to decide if he wanted to propose a bid OR NOT. I told him I felt it was inappropriate to ask who the other Contractors were. Obviously, Kevin did NOT want to bid...but did NOT have the character to tell me that up front!!!!!!! When I got off phone with this man, I was left feeling very disconcerted and confused. Ultimately, I feel Kevin is more concerned about his competition rather than taking care of his own business and providing me with a bid. Realistically, Kevin of Ohana Builders NEVER put himself "in the running" for my projects since he never wanted to provide a bid. Seemed to me Kevin would prefer to be hired without bidding for a job. Though that's a wonderful concept, but that's not reality in the world of construction. My question to him would be, "Would YOU hire someone to work on your home without knowing how much it's going to cost????!!!" The following morning, it was obvious my instincts about Kevin were right on! He called my home and spent about 2 minutes telling me why he wasn't going to give the bid. He couched it in the false concern for me and my project, stating that he had so many projects ahead of mine; that he was "committed to providing other bids"; that his parent "has gone back into the hospital"; that he "wouldn't be able to start on December 1st"; that "it's not fair to you to be stringing you along when I don't know when I'd be available....." and on and on...appearing as if to be concerned about me. I responded with, "I think it WOULD be wise that we not work together. I wish I had known this before I called you." <----meaning, I wish Tom of Hayward Lumber had revealed to me that Kevin does NOT like to bid for jobs. From the very moment Kevin Hass of Ohana Builders stepped into my backyard, it seemed he did NOT WANT THIS JOB, for reasons unknown at the time!!! I kept giving him the benefit of the doubt, but it never panned out. I should have trusted my instincts about this man after the very first 20 minutes of him being in my back yard. This is someone that wants to cherry pick his jobs and will WASTE YOUR TIME with his stories and negative comments to try to dissuade you from continuing with him if he decides he doesn't want to bid the job. That was very obvious after my second conversation with him (on the phone) in which he provided a lot of "reasons" for me to NOT HIRE HIM...without him so much as saying so. I would have had more respect for the man had he simply said, "I do not want this job." Instead, he kept stringing me along, wasting my time!!!!!!!!!!!!! I wanted to continue to give him the benefit of the doubt (thinking that maybe I was being too critical), chalking up his excuses and many words as a personality quirk. But in reality, Kevin secretly was trying to get me to "release" him from providing a bid. I have hired many contractors for the improvements to my property/home over the past 14 years and I must say that this was the MOST "PAINFUL" interaction I've ever had with a Contractor! Kevin Hass of Ohana Builders seemed more concerned about himself and his stories rather than about the homeowner and their project. Maybe he felt I had personality quirks as well and didn't want the job...but, one can NOT TRUST a Contractor with a project on one's home if the man can't be honest from the beginning!!!!! I'm soooo glad I found this out BEFORE he worked on my deck. WHO KNOWS WHAT THE CONSEQUENCES HAD BEEN HAD I HIRED HIM? He may have caused a mechanic's lien on my home, or cut corners during the job, or used inferior products, etc. Who knows since this man's character is questionable. BOTTOM LINE: Kevin provided many many excuses, reasons, and bemoaned this job. When I finally thought to ask, "Do you want this job?" he stated, "YES!" Then the following morning he calls back to give more excuses as to why he can't do the job (making it sound as if he's concerned for me and my project). I feel Kevin never wanted to bid the job from the start. He should have been honorable and revealed he didn't want to bid for the job from the start. I think he was looking for me to let him off the hook (why he provided so many excuses and bemoaning), but when I continued to press for a bid (willing to overlook his quirkiness) he realized he was going to have to be a man and call me in order to back out. WHAT A WASTE OF MY TIME.!!! Our fire devastated me and this is the LAST thing I needed to deal with!!! IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A BID, I WOULD SUGGEST LOOKING SOMEWHERE ELSE!!!!!! I can not and will never refer this man as a contractor.

The project went very well from start to finish! Kevin worked closely with us to keep costs down without sacrificing quality. He kept us well informed of his schedule and activities, and was very reliable. For some of the work, he brought in other specialized workers, all of whom were also reliable and did good quality work. When problems with scheduling of work or deliveries came up, he was flexible and able to re-arrange his work so that we wouldn't have any overall delay. Without exception, he and his workers were professional, personable, thorough, and competent, and the end result was a very functional workshop building that is exactly what we wanted, and that harmonizes well with the architecture and look of our house. We would definitely use Ohana Builders again ourselves, and recommend them to others!

It was great.

See previous narrative

Kevin and John are a delight to work with. They are very meticulous and professional, and they kept us informed on the day to day progress of the job. Our house looks beautiful and we are confident it is now weatherproof!

The kitchen turned out beautifully, as did the bathrooms, hallway, entry (interior/exterior) and laundry area. I raised the ceilings in the master bath and in the kitchen/dining area and totally cleared out the attic of old insulation. Kevin and John put the new furnace unit up in the attic, thereby saving me space in the garage. I added canned lights throughout as I hesitated to cut through my roof for solar tubes/sky lights.They are certified by Pella for windows/doors and Trex decking for decks/patios. I will be using them again for additional projects as money becomes available. They work with you, your budget and have wonderful suggestions/solutions to unseen problems or concerns. When my remodel became a renovation they were there at every step. They are creative and if you work with them regarding your vision, they'll always have a "plan B" to bring the project in on time and on budget. For e.g. - my plans to use bamboo thru the kitchen/laundry area hit a snag with massive pine tree roots that had made the concrete floor very iffy for any type of tile/wood application. Referral to a flooring company contact they had in Atascadero solved the problem beautifully with vinyl that resembles cork. The width of the vinyl was 13', my areas (kitchen/laundry) was 12'6". The skill of these installers had the vinyl laid in two rooms (no cabinets at that time) with NO SEAMS! I had no hesitation in recommending Kevin and John (Ohana Builders) to anyone for any size projects. Questions? Call me: 805/544-9620; if I'm not home, I'll get back to you. You cannot go wrong with these two wonderful men working on your home or rental properties. Cathy Bethel

We met Kevin when he was sent to us by Pella to install eighteen replacement windows in our house in San Simeon. From the beginning of the project he was personable, honest and very professional. We felt very comfortable entrusting our home repair to him. The harsh climate next to the ocean requires extreme attention to detail, and Kevin went beyond our expectations in ensuring the newly installed windows and remodeled clerestory would help protect our home from the elements. We will definitely call him when our next project comes up!

This has been a beyond positive experience. Kevin Hass and John Cartwright are multi-talented; they work smarter, not harder, constantly strive to make the oddities "right" and are cognizant of budget and in making what I have selected work. They have helped me stay on budget, offered brilliant suggestions that I hadn't considered, maintain positive contact with wonderful subcontractors they've contacted (Craig @ Koehler Plumbing;Brian @ Pella windows, Dan @Morro Doors; Bob Smith/Dan @ Bob Smith Painters, Sherwood construction for electrical, Chuck@Hayward Lumber,Jeff @ McLain Tile, Patty @ KoreL tiles, Pat at Los Osos Glass Jim @ Paragon Marble, Rudy/Manny @ Comfort Living HVAC, C& C Tree Service; Dione @ Williams Flrg, Portney Construction for asbestos removal, Gold concrete and Jason at Precision Drywall, Western Insulation) that have made my various projects come in on time and on budget. He works well with SLO city permit offices and has an artistic eye for the scope of the project as well. They have no hesitation in making workable suggestions when needed and appreciate the fact that I've done/shared a lot of research in order to formulate an ideas of what style and visions I have sought for this home makeover. The bills are annotated so I have ideas of what my costs have been (remodeling versus renovation). I have no hesitation what so ever either to making a recommendation of Ohana Builders ( Kevin and John) to others or to utilize them again for future projects. What started out in my mind in February 2010, became a reality by March 2011. I have updated my pictures to include the bathrooms, kitchen and entry finished products.