SOD Home Group

A previous negative review was submitted about a year ago with pictures included. The original work was unsatisfactory as there was an uneven spot in the new driveway that collected water in the front of the entrance. Oren sent out his crew five or six times attempting to correct the problem. I was advised by another contractor that a competent crew would have repaired the problem in one visit. In addition, there was discoloration of the concrete as if stained. Even Oren agreed that the new driveway was not a satisfactory job. Over the year, there were about 7 visits from his crew to repair or re-work the drive way to make it a professional job. I was just tired of waiting for more than a year for the job to be completed as promised. Pursuant to this review, I received an e-mail from Oren who was upset at my review and further wrote that he should have ignored my complaints. This response speaks to the professionalism of SOD. He later e-mailed me and informed me of a process that would make the driveway look totally different and acceptable. I told him I was very interested in this process and requested that he inform me when it could be done. I never heard from him again. Would suggest a review of the pictures provided of the work. Speaks for itself.

Michael was very professional, punctual, and pleasant to work with. He understood my situation and concerns and provided a reasonable estimate within a short time. The company had great follow-through and contacted me after the estimate was provided. I ended up going with another company who provided an estimate to repair the framing damage if it was found on opening up the ceiling. This is why I didn't rate price or quality, as the companies were bidding on different aspects of the job. I would certainly recommend and contact SOD in the future for other work.

I would not hire this contractor again. We had so many do-over's with this project, it became very time consuming and irritating. The sub-contractor's that they hired to do the finishing work were no more skilled than the guys you pick up for small handyman jobs at home depot. We ended up not being able to use the tile we had chosen because they could not cut it without it badly chipping it. The vanity was installed crooked, and had to be re installed. The vanity mirror was installed UPSIDE DOWN while there is a very distinctive top and bottom. The sink countertop had to be made twice because they measured incorrectly. The window had to be installed twice because the purchased the wrong kind of window, and once the first window came out, the drywall was very patchy and looked like I put the window in myself (both inside and out)! The shower was installed backwards, hot was cold and cold was hot. The shower shelving had to be re-tiled because it was at such a slant a shampoo bottle could not be placed there without falling onto the ground. The sink and toilet both leaked and had to be fixed more than once. To top it off, the "project manager" spray painted the drain cover to the shower to match our bathroom hardware, and told us he bought a new one. (It's the principle) Of course the paint came off after a week of use. The owner was very nice and apologetic, came to our house and gave us a small discount, and explained he was underwater on the project and couldn't discount us more. I strongly felt as if the errors made and extra cost he incurred for this project, were a direct result of his project managers negligence. Maybe if it was a $50,000 bathroom, instead of a $12,000 bathroom, they would have cared a bit more. This project took 3 times as long as quoted due to so many mistakes. The workers were very friendly and nice, but left very big messes outside in the area where they worked. Very unprofessional.

Looks absolutely great, we had the job done in 3 days, which was exactly as promised. also I loved the computer system that gave me project updates. workers were friendly and helpful

They have a friendly staff. Scheduling an appointment was good. There was one person here doing the work.

It was totally positive. They promptly offered a bid, rescheduled a job in a reasonable time and they completed the work very quickly. The bid was right for their performance.

I chose SOD for a complete kitchen remodel and plumbing upgrade. Working with the designer, Michelle, was a pleasure. She had a clear sense of what we were looking for and knew just when to offer her opinion as we were sorting through the dizzying array of options. When the building actually began, everyone at SOD was easy to contact, the crew always professional. There were a few glitches, but they were minor, nothing out of the ordinary for such an extensive job. Early in the process, Oren, the owner of the company, told me that he would do whatever it took to make sure I was happy at the end of the job--and he delivered. There was no request that wasn't honored, no small issue that was ever contested. They never made me feel picky, even though there were times I felt that way. Oren called me a few months after the job was done to make sure I was happy. When I mentioned a few minor issues that had come up (a cabinet door was sticking and the faucet had worked a little loose) he had someone come out within a day to take care of them. SOD didn't give me the cheapest bid (they weren't the most expensive either, for the record) but it's worth a little extra money to find a builder that does quality work and is willing to work with you to make sure you're satisfied.

We purchased a house in LA and had planned on updating it-new kitchen and bathrooms. I looked on Angie's list for a contractor that was experienced but also concerned about the homeowner's wishes and trustworthy. We were doing this long distance as we don't live in LA. I can also be a difficult person to deal with-I have very definite ideas about what I want and don't really care if it's possible or not. Oren met with us at the house and we went through each room outlining what we were looking for. Oren made suggestions and recommendations based on his experience and the location (what people are looking for in that area should we decide to sell later.) We received a contract that was professional and thorough. As always happens though, the original plan kept changing and expanding. Oren kept us apprised of any issues or changes that came up. SOD uses a web-based program where updates, pictures and emails could be accessed no matter where you are (again we were doing this long distance.) Oren was always accessible even on weekends. We would let him know when we were going to be in LA and he would meet us to walk through the progress at the house. Another thing I liked was his knowledge of the LA permit/inspection process (and LA has a lot of inspection requirements.) Now I'm not going to say everything went perfectly-there were some hiccups along the way like the job took longer than imagined. But I've dealt with other contractors and he is by far the best I've dealt with. I will commend his staff, especially Michal, the interior designer. I loved her ideas. With a project this extensive there are so many decisions to make it becomes overwhelming. Couple that with doing this long distance and working full time, I was so thankful for Michal and her ideas/suggestions. Oren has always been responsive by email or phone. This last trip out to LA when I walked into the house I felt like I was on one of those HGTV shows. There was such a transformation, you would never believe that this was the same house. SOD Builders is now working on a plan for the outside. Can't wait to see the finished product.

It was nice to have the drawings, but it didn't meet my expectations.

Oren, the general contractor, gave us a bid that was reasonable and when he came to our house he brought his designer Michelle, who showed us pictures and gave us ideas about what could be done to our house. Michelle was with us to help pick out tile, granite slabs, paint colors, and cabinet styles. The job itself had one hic-up but was remedied by Oren. The foreman/woman that was assigned to our job told us that if we had any questions we could call her day or night and she would be available. This turned out not to be the case and Oren eventually let her go and we were given a new foreman, Robert, who was available whenever we needed help. Overall everything went well. Oren had workers at our house just about every day and the workers were very professional in doing their jobs. They even swept up at the end of the day so we wouldn't track dust into the rest of the house. Our remodel started on January 6th and was completely finished by March 14th. I have waited until now (6 months after completion) to see if anything went wrong before giving my review and I can honestly say that everything has held up well. No cracks in the drywall, and no leaks anywhere. Given all that was accomplished in just over 2 months I would say that Oren and his crew did a wonderful job.

On September 10, 2014, I spent one hour at my home with a Salesperson for SOD Builders Inc (Yaron) to look at the work I wanted done. I handed him a list of 10 tasks I wanted a price for performing. He said he would email me an quote in a few days. About two weeks later I received a phone call from a nice lady from SOD Builders who asked how my experience had been. I told her I was thinking they must be too busy to do my job since I haven't received a quote. She apologized and said she would look into it. A week later I received another call from another nice lady (Giselle) at SOD Builders who asked how my project was going. I told her that I still had not received a quote from SOD, and I told her that I was questioning SOD's professionalism since this was the 2nd customer service call and yet I've not received an email, quote, explanation or formal apology. I waited another week and decided to give a call into the nice lady at SOD who was my very first contact several months ago (Lesmi). I spoke with her on October 10, 2014 and told her the story. She explained that Yaron no longer worked with SOD, but they had contacted him, they would get the quote from him and forward it to me. My wife called the SOD office on October 17, 2014 to ask when we would get a quote. Today is October 21, 2014 and we still have not received a quote. What a disappointment!

We absolutely love Oren, his design team and SOD Builders, Inc. After meeting with multiple contractors to remodel our entire home and we added 1500SF to it, Oren was a breath of fresh air. He wasn?t pushy like most other contractors. Instead, he was polite, knowledgeable, trustworthy and professional. This project was our first re-model (pretty massive for first remodel) and we didn?t know anything about the process. Oren guided us through everything from start to finish. He listened carefully to what we wanted, gave us suggestions, and showed us lots of examples on his computer of other homes he had remodeled and build. Lance and Michelle went with us to stores to help us pick out everything in our home--appliances, tile, and counters. They built us all custom cabinets He was patient and supportive, always offering his perspective and advice and helping us make color and style decisions. He, Michelle (our head designer), and the rest of their team were all a pleasure to work with. They were hardworking, polite, knowledgeable, paid attention to every detail, and showed true pride in their work. Lesmi checked in with us every day, either by phone call or by email. The crew cleaned up at the end of each day. The team was so efficient that, despite us adding a few additional projects along the way, they finished the project ahead of schedule. And, we are extremely happy with our new home. It is more beautiful than we could have imagined and we are so thankful to Oren and his team. We have already recommended SOD Builders to family and friends and are looking forward to having him redo our rental home in the near future. SOD Builders are HIGHLY recommended!

They were on time and did what they said they were going to do. I had a special so I am not sure about their price. They were finished when they said they would be. That is my main concern. I am sure their quality of work is okay. They cleaned up after themselves and took the debris away so as far as I know I am happy. They did not fail me. They gave me the price and that is what they charged me. Their responsiveness was fine. Somebody told me they thought their pricing was a little high.

Communication was good at first in setting up the appointment. The Rep that visited the house was on time. However, the Rep that was sent was not the actual contractor that was going to do the work. He wasn't really a salesmen either. So we were unable to ask him specific questions regarding the procedures of things, state law, or timelines. One of the jobs was install new construction windows. We had to insist that he take measurements on the windows so they could give us an accurate quote. When he left, he stated that it would two days to three days to get back to us with an estimate. On the third day, I called the office at 10 am and spoke to their receptionist. She stated that she would locate my scope of work and will give us a call back within a couple of hours with the estimate. At 3 pm, I called her back. She told me that she would have to call me back within the hour. An hour later she called back stating that they were unable to work on my estimate because everyone was leaving for the day due to a Jewish Holiday. She then tells me that the soonest they would be available to take on the job was 8 MONTHS from now! June 2015!! Why would you bother to send someone out to the house for an estimate if you are unable to take on new work for 8 MONTHS. Complete waste of time.

On or around 8/15/14, I made an appointment for an estimate set for 8/20/14. Due to a family emergency at 0900 on that day, I had to cancel the appointment. I received several calls to reschedule. I was, finally, able to reschedule for 9/21/14. On or about 9/20/14, I received an e-mail saying that I need to reschedule my estimate appointment. No phone call, not even a personal e-mail. It was a "form-type" letter. It did not inform me that they need to reschedule, it was worded that I needed to reschedule the appointment. I have received several messages since then telling me that I had cancelled the appointment and I needed to reschedule. Needless to say, I am not interested in that type of service, or lack-there-of.

We love our kitchen and what's even more amazing, we still love everyone at SOD. Through every step of the way, we felt like Oren, Michelle and team did everything in their power to give us exactly what we wanted, or, as was often the case, something better than we could have imagined. We are a bit clueless on the design front. We knew we wanted a Dwell worthy high end kitchen that had warmth and natural stone elements while still being sleek and modern. We had no idea how to do this. Michelle helped us design the kitchen, change the layout, reposition things, and redesign the kitchen again. She helped us select materials, match stain samples, hardware, everything. And this "call me anytime and I will pick up or call you immediately" service is just part of the deal. It's how SOD operates. If there was ever anything that we were unhappy about, it was addressed immediately. I believe someone came out three times to make sure the wall of cabinetry fit into the soffit line perfectly. We chose an incredibly difficult tile to install for our backsplash. Each tile is individually cut and affixed to paper. The tiler pulled out individual tiles that we felt were too dark or light or misshapen... dozens of them, until it looked perfect. They were very accommodating when working with the Miele specs for the custom panel refrigerator and even redid a panel when we saw a blemish. The cabinetry makers SOD uses are craftsmen and you can tell when you look at the end result and feel the substantial drawers and cabinets in your hand. The cabinetry and drawer hardware used is on par with what Poggenpohl and Boffi. After months and months of hard use, I still get a little thrill every time the drawers soft close smoothly. When we were conducting our search we were looking for quality, excellent customer service and affordability. SOD provides all of these. NOT ONCE did we feel taken advantage of or overcharged in any way. Our quote did not change. There weren't any hidden costs or fees. Any change orders were requested by us and were for upgrades only (i.e. to high gloss cabinets which we did not initially want). Not once was there a surprise. In fact, we found that we were so on budget that we were able to splurge on our cabinet hardware and backsplash. (The cost of service includes all labor for demo, construction, design consulting, rendering of plans, all cabinetry, counter tops and lighting. Not included in this price are appliances, sink, permit fees and materials for floor, backsplash and island countertop. In the end with all expenses paid, we spent $15,000 less than the competing bid). It has been nine months and we have not had a single issue with anything in our kitchen. It is still beautiful, it still looks new and it is very, very user friendly. This is a kitchen used and abused by children but appreciated by adults. We couldn't be happier and will use SOD again in the near future.

We hired SOD Builders to completely remodel a small hall bath. Their cost was $14,050 which included labor, plumbing, vanity, and electrical. We supplied all other items. Total cost was $22,000. There were a few bumps in the road but the owner, Oren, more than redeemed himself. The end result is beautiful! We love our new bathroom!

They did a fine job. They cleaned up well after themselves and scheduling was fine.

They were very pleasant and professional, but the offer, which suggested $3000 would cover most 2000 sq ft homes, turned out not to be the case for my home. I was told it would cost an additional 5000 due to the shape of my home.... They were pleasant, agreeable, were very accommodating; made suggestions for alternate products that they would apply my deal towards to lower the cost somewhat, but it was still cost prohibitive at the time. I had hoped to be able to save enough money to get something done, but I was unable to, and then I kind of gave up. To be honest, I am only estimating my last contact with them, as I really can't recall and was quite discouraged.

It was not great. She just went through the motions and was not very creative. But as a person, she was okay and she was not enthusiastic especially. My feeling was she was just going through the motions. She probably had several people who did this and it she was just picking it from her mind, when in fact I was looking for someone to do the work. I think she could have been more enthusiastic and more excited about a possible project. I do architectural consultant so I know more of this things and what she suggested was just so un-inspired. It was just wasn’t much of anything. I think she spent two hours here.

The work was to be done at our home in Hacienda Heights. The contractor should have been in contact with and scheduled meetings/work with our son. We provided correct details for contact but nothing happened. Our son called and left messages but nothing seemed to work out. Work has NOT been done. I should have followed through more quickly, but I did not. Consequently I need a refund (since I paid for the work). Thank you, Diana Grinyer

Fred was very professional and courteous throughout the process. Although there was some unexpected delays, the reassurance and effort to satisfy the customers needs was always there.

This company was very flexible. They came to view several tasks we needed done and were able to send workers to do both jobs. One was a tricky job of installing a new shower door and the other was patching and painting. The workers were skilled, intelligent and did an excellent job.

These guys did a really good job painting the rooms for the kids and they loved it. That's all I can ask for, as long as they love it, I'm happy.

Overall experience went smoothly - minor issues relating to vanity sizing and electrical light location (my unit). Overall process was approximately 2 weeks. Great customer service. High quality.