Bethanis, inc. dba Bethanis Homes

He took our plans, and then never got back to us. He told us he?d get back in touch with us within a few weeks, and he did to let us know that he'd provide us with estimates for the work we wanted done. It?s been over two months since we met with him at length & provided him with our plans, and he completely blew us off, since we still have nothing. He still has our plans/blueprints.

We are most pleased with Mark Bethanis' hard working crew. We couldn't asked for more.

Excellent work crew. Good clean up.

Mark did all the shopping. All his workers were on time, cleaned up every day, and trusted. No problems.

Very satisfactory experience. We gave Bethanis a difficult job, as we wanted to retain our old 40+ year old cabinetry, which they refinished to our specifications. We also had a difficult roof configuration with no attic space, so finding a hood we liked was extremely difficult. Mark Bethanis diligently searched and found the perfect hood (after I had looked at hundreds). We were out of the house during remodel. Mark was easy to work with and willing to follow our desires, while making suggestions that were helpful to the outcome of the project. We also had our own granite fabricator and he was willing to work with that company. I believe they had a good experience.

We had obtained a conceptual drawing from a architect who works with older homes which we used as the basis for bids by three contractors. We selected Bethanis, inc, based on positive reviews in Angie's List and the lowest price that was also close to the architect's estimate. We also felt very comfortable with Mark Bethanis, the owner. We knew we were in good hands when the tile store owner told us, "Mark has the best tile guy in town." Mark and his team did a wonderful job of integrating the conceptual design with our input and astute ideas of their own. Mark was involved in all those decisions and was very respectful of our input. The work was completed on time and at less cost that the original estimate. We are absolutely delighted with the result. The tile and cabinets are beautiful. We were always kept informed of the schedule and all the craftsmen were professional and left the workspace clean each day. We have already hired Bethanis, inc to paint all the exterior woodwork and replace a front gate. We are saving our money so we can hire him to remodel our kitchen. The roofing work was also excellent. It looks (as it should) like it is the original roof of the house without the leaks.

Here's my story: we had awful experiences in the past, and we were very reluctant to try another contractor, but we decided to try Angie's List as a stepping-off point and knew we also had to use a Burbank contractor because of stringent code, permits and inspectors. So we called a few and met with Mark. From the first, he was very patient with us and was willing to hand-hold us through the process. I can't say enough good things about Mark and his crew. After they began work, I quit worrying. Everything was done exactly as Mark said. He handled all the details...Of course, I had to pick the finishes. I'm very picky, and every time I wanted to check on something, it was already spoken about and planned for. About half-way through, Mark called and asked me how it was going. And I said, "It's not the right word, but 'fun' popped into my head." I once asked how the painters got the finish they did because we paint often, but it doesn't look as good. They told me their 6-step process that involves sanding in between each coat. Remarkable. Mark cares about his crew, and it shows in their work--high skill and high quality. He also uses the same subs for each job which is very important for consistency. And all his subs are the best--according to Mark, and according to us now. We got everything we hoped for, and we're making plans for the rest of the house. We only did half the house so that we could stay in it--not move out for the remodel--and Mark's crew and subs really worked hard to make that happen for us. Considering I was always there, on the job, I can say for certain, so was Mark. I saw my contractor almost every day. He always took my calls. Everyone was always courteous and professional. And they were so fast. I thought Mark was joking when he said it would all be done in 6 weeks. He had subs and crew moving through our house quickly and smoothly. And it was done in 7 weeks--only because I added in some work. I plan to keep moving along with all the projects on our house and hire Bethanis, Inc. to do it all. Call Mark and ask to see our house. We love to show it off.

see above. Work in progress.

Mark Bethanis is one of the most competent people I have ever worked with. He's resourceful, imaginative, and has a refined aesthetic sensibility. His suggestions along the way were carefully thought out and always helpful. Most of all: HE HAS A RESPECT FOR THE VINTAGE CHARACTER OF OLDER HOUSES. Our new kitchen, although updated, is EXACTLY in the style of the original 1920's kitchen. The materials, the style, the embellishments and the proportions all come together to a point that it's difficult for most people to imagine that it is not original. Mark has a great crew who are here every step of the way and are talented painters and finishers, even giving the walls (now drywall), a finish to match the plaster texture of the rest of the house. Mark uses subcontractors that he has worked with for years that are also talented craftsmen. The extensive tile work in our new kitchen is stunning, as are the soapstone counters, the wood flooring (designed to match exact grain, style and finish of the original wood floors in the rest of the house, the textured stucco of the exterior, the redesign of our raised roofline. The farmhouse sink and prep sink and the vintage style plumbing fixtures are all well thought out and perfectly placed, as is the schoolhouse lighting and the LED under-cabinet lighting (on dimmers). The cabinetry work is exceptional - period face frame construction with modern advantages such as pull out pantries, pull out cutting boards and built in seating benches with cabinets underneath. Mark also renovated an attic space and turned it into a a extra room. He rebuilt the staircase, refinished the floor, insulated, drywalled,ran electric and lighting, framed cabinets and hung doors in a previously unused space. He took the space and turned it into a beautiful useable space very efficiently and cost-effectively. Mark was referred to us by our good friends who had had a positive experience on a remodel. Based on my experience, I found Mark to be fair, honest and caring about the outcome of the project. He has a combination of experience, taste, ingenuity and integrity that I think is rare. I would give him my highest recommendation and am please to be able to put this review on Angie's List.

On going process

Bethanis and his crew are awesome. Mark is extremely knowledgeable, hilarious, and is not only out to please, but is out to blow you away. His workers are the best. Courteous, kind and professional. If you have a vintage / character home, Mark and his guys know how to update it while preserving the character as to not renovate the charm out of your place. Mark is priced aggressively and fairly and will work with you and your budget. We plan on using Mark's services for a long time. You need a contractor? Pick up the phone and call him now. You won't regret that you did.

Mark Bethanis was our first choice. We had four bids from other general contractors. Some of the bids were less expensive but we felt that Mark's vision and professional opinion/perspective was worth the extra cost. We were absolutely right. He listened to our opinions and incorporated them in the design. I would show him pictures from magazines and we would pull the best parts of these pictures and create that environment. Mark knows how to make an addition or remodel look like it is original to the house!! You do not walk into my house and say "oh this is where the remodel began" it is seamless and flows naturally. He thinks of details that make the difference such as not the changing our roof line during our remodel because it would look like we tacted on addition. Something that did not even come up with the other contractors. He created details around our window and door molding that changed the dynamic of the window and the door for the better. When we reconfigured the rooms in our home or the yards he thought outside the box providing very workable and original ideas. He is a hands on guy. He is there everyday. He sets up the work plan and gets it executed. He is communicative with us. We knew what was happening each day, who was coming and what to expect . He thought ahead. Letting us know what our role was as the process unfolded such pick out cabinets, kitchen appliances etc so they were ready to install when he was ready to tackle that project. He is very knowledgeable about where to shop to get the best deals or find the type of items that would maintain the integrity of the home. He found the best people to do the jobs such a the architect, tiling , granite, hardwood floors, and designers for orginal cabinetry. These people were also very communicative and listened to our opinions and incorporated them in their efforts. His workers are the best.They would arrive early wait outside our house until I got the kids breakfast and ready for school . They were polite, efficient and cleaned up after work EVERYDAY.They also respected our three dogs which is a challenge. Their painting skills are fanstastic. They are especially talented at oil based paint(which is difficult). We eventually had to move out of the house as construction progressed. Mark knew we were renting a home and made sure that he finished the enitre project on time! He stands behind his work . We continue to have a working relationship with him as things come up especially in the area of painting the interior of our home. I grew up in the home that Mark remodeled which made changing things very hard for me. Mark was very empathic to my feelings. I have recommended Mark to numerous friends. Everyone that has used him found him outstanding. He is honest, and trustworthy. He bid was realistic and accurate. His individual bills had many details, receipts, and clear explanations so that we could see where each dollar we paid him was spent. Really, what I saying with this review is.. USE HIM!!

Despite all of the challenges of our home renovation (our construction design, the weather, schedule, financial constraints) Bethanis, Inc. consistently demonstrated outstanding professionalism and craftsmanship. Their attention to detail and consideration of our needs/wants made our building experience a great one. Bethanis, Inc. did an excellent job and provided us with a beautiful home.

Mark Bethanis did a phenominal job. My 96 year old mother was moving here to live with us and we needed to make a lot of changes to accomodate her wheelchair. We met with Mr. Bethanis and he had brilliant ideas on how to do it. We decided to take his suggestion and put in a whole new kitchen (which was desparately needed) in the process of creating the handicap bath she needed. Mr. Bethanis's foreman and workers are so professional and helpful. They went out of their way to accomodate us as we remained in the back half of the house during the work. We did live without a kitchen in the interim but they put out old fridge outside where we could use it. Mr. Bethanis and his crew are maticulous in their work, their painting is above perfection, and they kept the workplace, including the outside as neat and clean as humanly possible. I should mention that we contracted with Mr. Bethanis in April giving him not quite 3 months to be COMPLETELY done and still giving us time to refurnish, decorate and prepare for mom's arrival on June 26th. IT WAS A MIRACLE. I am quite sure that I failed to give Mr. Bethanis credit for all he did and how they did it. Superlatives should abound. PS We no longer call him Mr. Bethanis. He's Mark now and actually become a friend. How often does that happen with a contractor?

The entire process was FANTASTIC! Mark was completely on top of every detail. From start to finish it took 4 months - he was completely on-time throughout the entire project - as well as on budget (except for upgrades that we added!) We lived in our home throughout the entire renovation (including weeks with no roof and no exterior walls.) When looking for a contractor we had several goals: 1) someone who would mean what he said and say what he means, 2) someone who would maintain the original 1940's style of our house (we didn't want to just add a box on the back!), 3) we needed it to be a clean work environment because we planned on living there throughout the project, 4) we wanted everything in writing, insured, protected, and above board, and 5) we wanted to keep a lot of the work local. We were not interested in the cheapest OR the most expensive bid - we wanted an honest estimate on both the budget and the time. Mark delivered on both accounts. He was on budget and ahead of schedule. As far as maintaining the architectural integrity - the house looks amazing. Lots of time and energy was spent getting the roof line engineered so as not to look like an addition. Mark was also helpful giving us some ideas about how to arrange some of the interior walls to fit with the roof so that we weren't paying thousands of dollars in engineering fees. The layout turned out awesome. Our friends all comment that you can't even tell it's an addition. Apart from the general inconvenience of a constant layer of dust - Mark was very good about cleaning up at the end of every day so that we weren't overwhelmed with the chaos. It's definitely an inconvenience, not having a kitchen for 4 months, but Mark really did his best to minimize it. He was also very pet-friendly. We built a dog-run in the back yard and our dog was able to be at home while everyone was working, all but 4 days of the entire project. It would have been a huge extra expense had we needed to kennel her. When friends ask, we often say that everything that could have gone perfect -went perfect! And, we're not joking! The only difficult moment came as a result of a tile choice that we made and Mark was quick to step in and ease our panic with some terrific suggestions! Everywhere we went (granite yard, tile store, etc.) - everybody in town kept remarking how lucky we were to be working with Mark because all of his sub-contractors were the best in the business (granite fabricators, tile layers, electricians, plumbers, cabinet makers, etc.) It was VERY reassuring to us that everyone spoke so highly of him. They all commented on how he was great to do business with because he was an honest businessman. All of our paperwork was accurate. All employees were covered by worker's comp, all sub-contractors were contracted through him, all the appropriate permits were filed, and he even helped us file for local, state, and federal rebates on windows, roofing, insulation, water heat

Mark Bethanis' crew is incredibly competent as well as extremely clean and personable. We can't say enough good things about them. They made the whole remodeling process as smooth as possible for us. His crew also painted the house inside and outside and their work is impeccable. Mark recommended using his cabinet maker and he did a splendid job in alder wood. Mark's workers stained the cabinets after they were installed and did a great job matching the shade I had picked. All of Mark's suggestions are based on his expertise remodeling vintage homes. Ours was built in 1925 and it badly needed work. Mark tried his best to keep the integrity of the house's style. He even had his carpenter rework new molding to match the old one. Our new kitchen is a perfect marriage between the old and the new. The bathroom remodel turned our old, crummy one into a airy, beautiful space decorated with white subway and hexagonal tile in white and black. All the fixtures we used are based on designs from the 20's. The bathroom and kitchen look simply beautiful. Mark's workers also installed exhibition track in the dining room, living room and both of our offices and now we can hang artworks without having to damage the new painted walls. Most of our friends had warned us that remodeling was going to be a nightmare but they were wrong. Our experience with Mark Bethanis and his excellent crew, led by his foreman, Alejandro, couldn't have been better. We're thrilled with our beautifully renovated home.

I live out of town and was nervous at the prospect of having to get my father's long-neglected house up to standard and ready to rent. After doing a walk-through to assess the scope of the project, Mark Bethanis was prompt in his response and available almost immediately for the job. Within a couple of weeks, work had begun with more than one job going on simultaneously (the house is not occupied). It has continued at an efficient pace; and even with several change orders, the job should be finished within 2 weeks of the original completion date.

They have been good. We have only been dealing with them for a little while. He has done a lot of renovations for old houses, he moves quickly, and has competitive pricing.

The demolition work was completed on the first day. The plumbing and electrical work took 1 day each. The tile work took 2 days. The installation of the sink and toilet took one day. The painting also took 1 day. The crews were on-time and kept the work and surrounding areas clean. The total project took 2 weeks. I was very pleased with the professionalism of all involved.

Overall, it went very smoothly, I really appreciated the fact that Mark Bethanis was on the job every day to make sure his crew kept on schedule and budget. I also appreciated the quality of the finished work, such as the painting, which is absolutely stellar. Mark uniquely created many details that look completely authentic and I couldn't be happier with my new home. I'd recommend Bethanis, inc. to anyone who cares about quality and craftsmanship.

This is my first house and I had no idea what I was getting into, but Mark helped me survive the renovation process with fantastic results. He was patient and very good about explaining things. He had great ideas about how to update everything in a style that works well with the vintage style of the house. When my budget didn't allow me to do things exactly the way I wanted to, Mark suggested some very good compromises. He really wanted me to be happy with the outcome, and in fact I m thrilled. Mark has also been responsive when minor problems have arisen since the completion of the job. Several of my neighbors have commented on the courtesy and professionalism of everyone who worked at the house; at least one neighbor plans to call Bethanis Inc. for her next renovation project. I will definitely call them for mine.

Bethanis, inc. did an AMAZING job. We tell everyone they rescued our house! Mark s crew is professional, neat, and punctual. They are true craftsmen. The work is excellent and performed with the greatest attention to detail. Mark has a real passion for getting things exactly right and making the homeowner happy. He is conscientious, very easy to work with, and really listens to clients. He is always available to answer questions or address concerns, returns phone calls right away, and stopped by almost every day to personally check on the progress of the job. Mark and everyone on his team are dedicated to giving the homeowner personal service and performing work on time and on budget. The entire process went very smoothly, and we couldn t be more pleased with the end result. We highly recommend Bethanis, Inc. and look forward to working with them again in the future.

Everything was done in a timely and professional manner. The workmen were very clean and respectful working inside my home.