GEBCO GENERAL CONTRACTOR

Mike Gebel is the hands-on owner of Gebco. He has been in the general contracting business for over 30 years and has worked extensively in Encinitas during that time, so he knows the local codes and all the inspectors. He is a pro who runs a lean, low-overhead business that employs a core of really professional and respectful workers and he has a network of quality subs to do the work his crew doesn't have the bandwidth to cover. My experience was that he delivers a quality finished product, on-time and within budget, unless change orders are made by the customer. When we ran into a few challenging issues, Mike was great at coming up with several options to resolve the situations, and he is a master at making problems go away.

When we started the project, we didn't know what we would find. It was clear there was extensive water damage over the years and all the kitchen and bathroom fixtures had long since passed their useful life. The roof was shot, and termites had moved in. What was not clear was whether or not the damage had compromised the structural integrity of the building. Mike was able to give me a good feel for the range of cost we might run into on different aspects of the project. He could not give a hard bid, and if he had, that would have been a big red flag. As it turned out, we talked on a daily basis, frequently on site, where I could see first hand any damage, and Mike could explain what was significant and what was minor. Fortunately, I had been through remodels before and felt like I had a pretty good understanding of things. Never once did I feel Mike was being disingenuous or trying to do unnecessary repairs. He was great at coming up with solid fixes that were low cost, allowing me to focus my budget on the visible things, like solid wood custom cabinetry, high-end fixtures, high quality stone and tile, etc. The end result is a transformation of my place from Cardiff ghetto to b******' beach house. Going into a major remodel without know what you might uncover was scary. I have several friends who had used Mike for remodels and new construction and highly recommended him - he had a reputation for being a straight-shooting, honest contractor who knows how to get things done. On my job, that is exactly what happened and I will hire him again.