SAN DIEGO MASTER CRAFTSMEN

Was informed that they usually do high-end jobs, using costly materials. There was no way that we could afford their services. However, the representative was honest with us about their quality and cost. I don't remember the exact date of the estimate, so I put an approximate date down.

I had a lot of personal contact with John Hammer. He was really good about communicating with me. I enjoyed working with him. We are very pleased with the work they did. It took them about 10 days to complete the job.

It turned out great! Everyone did a great job. We started the job in January. We had to take a wall out so it was a longer timeline. They finished up in early May.

Seemed overpriced for what they did - and their estimate to do the actual kitchen remodel was also high -

SDMC transformed the basic structure which in effect was a small warehouse with tired and unfinished walls, floors and utilities into a grand area that gives us plenty of options and a showcase space adding a lot to the main house and property. Jon is most knowledgable and willing to explore all options and build what is right more so than what is the basic to get by. His onsite often lead Rick is a fantastic site foreman so to speak who makes sure things are done right, and does great quality work himself. Overall, the before and after pics can only tell the full story. ALso included installing new low maintenance double exterior doors and stairs They added a sizable storage room with an above loft offering grand views along with a full bath from scratch and redone electric service. Nice add was the "mud" shower that adds an arty look yet very functional shower and bathroom main wall, adding to what would have been a normal bath into one that draws compliments. In the different craftsman Jon typically has the best and this showed in the quality work of the framer, concrete cutting and refinishing, drywall hanger and finisher and flooring teams were all 5 star quality. Plumbing was the only "other" as several issues cropped up but true to his dedication to quality Jon quickly took care of them but I'd rate the plumbing quality a just barely 3 stars.. Only other "other " was painting--we elected to go it ourselves given the seemingly very high price quote. So in sum he earns 5 stars with room to spare with the only nits being it might have been better to have a bit more supervision during key evolutions (e.g. Plumbing before drywall) and to keep the site a bit cleaner (the concrete and sawdust ended up in every nook and cranny and I cleaned some of it to ensure it was not walled in) to ensure his zeal for quality is upheld. Make sure you are very specific with fixtures and equipment as in we had wanted a whisper fan and instead got a regualr one and thought we were purchasing the toilet and got a great one but turned out that was included and the one we got was a bit lesser quality. So make sure you work all the details with Jon beforehand. THis is not a negative as Jon's attention to detail and exactness in executing the contract is more a benefit that hinderance. Note Jon's Lifetime Warranty tells you he will be there if in the unlikely chance something goes wrong or does not turn out right. If you want the best at a fair price for big or small, Jon Hammer and SDMC is the team to go with.

He was very thorough. He provided us with 3D images and usually people will just give the flat drawing plans. He was very good.

They were always professional, always courteous, and did exceptional work. When problems were uncovered they were quick with solutions and made sure we were happy with the final product.

Met with Jon Hammer on Tuesday June 4, he was punctual and professional. Waiting on a quote from him to determine if I'm going to hire him.

Jon Hammer spoke to me on the phone and asked probing questions to help determine what my project entailed. His tips and suggestions for working on my project were invaluable. Because I plan to do a lot of the work myself, he quickly switched to making relevant suggestions for doing the project properly. He covered permits, draftsmen, hiring individual contractors for specific parts of the project, all in an effort to help me save money. I was VERY pleased with our conversation and would suggest him as a quality contractor that knows his craft.

I was happy with his quick response and I'm sure that if I had a $30k project they would have been great to work with. I just wish that the stipulation had been up front.

Owner was very nice and helpful. We did not use his services.

The job went very well, although it took longer to complete than originally expected. From my perspective, it would seem that a partial remodel is more difficult in some respects than a complete remodel, because those components that aren't to be rebuilt are "in the way", so to speak, of the workers, and they have to avoid damaging them. Especially keeping that in mind, I have the following remarks about my experience with San Diego Master Craftsmen: The price was fair. There were no issues with liens, not even preliminary lien notices. A total of eleven specialists worked on my project. Each of these specialists was friendly and professional, as well as respectful of my property, and did their best to minimize dust and disruption to my surrounding living spaces. The workmanship was uniformly outstanding, deserving of the "master craftsmen" label in the company name. The workers were punctual, friendly, and cooperative. There was no substantive damage to any of the unmodified areas of the bathrooms. The company also provided me with helpful information after the job was finished, and this was greatly appreciated. All in all, a positive experience. Highly recommended. Update: It's been almost 2-1/2 years now since the work was done, and I'm still very happy with the way everything turned out! Only quibble is a few tiles in one bath were installed directly on top of an existing crack in the concrete slab (that wasn't sealed), and now one of those tiles has a spreading, hairline crack. Not a biggie in the whole scheme of things, and not terribly noticeable. I still highly recommend this contractor.

The company was very responsive and professional. We had to stop the job early just because we couldn't afford it at the time.

I purchased a Big Deal for $50 for kitchen and bathroom design. Jon showed up promptly, listened to my desires, made comments, and emailed me costs for the projects we discussed. He sounds like he is very competent. I have not used him, however, because the tenant is still in the property. I may reconsider when I know when the tenant is leaving.

Jon talked with me about what I wanted, how much it would cost and where to purchase appliances, cabinets, flooring and light fixtures at a good price and quality. He drew up plans and we discussed changes, additions and additional costs. His contractors were quick, clean and respectful. Jon was on site every day and my home was left cleaner than I left it. Jon set up a mini kitchen in my garage. All the cabinetry and old appliances were donated to Father Joe's and I got the tax write off. ALL of this was done in 3 months. I never worried about a thing. It was the most stressless remodel ever and the quality is SUPERIOR. MASTER CRAFTSMEN is indeed an appropriate name.

Great. Well managed so little inconvenience. Costs within budget.

San Diego Master Craftsment was great. I don't have any horror stories to share and am pleasantly surprised at how well the entire process went. Jon and his project manager Rick were on top of things and ensured the job ran smoothly. He has quality subcontractors that pride themselves on workmanship and professionalism. Jon arranged for the popcorn ceiling to be removed while I was out of town for a week in April even though the job wasn't to start for several weeks later in May. The timeline was 6 weeks (excluding the ceiling) but the job was finished in about 5. I made sure that all materials I was responsible to provide were here before the job began which helped to finish on time. I thought Jon would manage the job when I contracted with him but his company has grown so much he added a project manager, Rick, to handle the job. The electrical and painting companies used are on Angie's list and performed up to their excellent reviews (I'd give their names but Angie's List says not to reference multiple companies). I also have to give kudos to Dan, the cabinet installer, for his patience with me since the cabinets I ordered were shorter than I thought and he had to do some reconfiguring but his perfectionism won the day. Mike did a great job on the ceiling and texturing the walls where the fireplace was removed. Jon provided a bid with the exact budget and only changed the amount when I added to the job, i.e. new baseboards in entire house not just where new flooring was installed and painting all interior doors, with jambs/casing and frames. There were a couple of things that Jon didn't relay to the subcontractors (color of the ceiling paint and finish on the countertop) but he made them right. I have had some minor issues but Jon/Rick have been prompt in taking care of them all. And I feel confident that if I call them at any time about any thing regarding the job they will take care of those as promptly.

We braced ourselves for a lot of delays and disagreements but none of this arose. SDMC's owner, Jon Hammer, is a planner. After we signed the contract, Jon spent a good week meticulously ironing out the details down to the plumbing and lighting fixtures, scope of the electrical renovations, and so on. He predicted that any changes would be on our initiative and he called it. When we decided to change something - inevitably to add additional work like insulating under the floor - Jon provided a change order and on we went. No delays, no argument, nothing but service. As in all big projects, we had a few bumps on the way. For example, the primer was not adhering to the walls well around windows and doors. This may have been caused by our taping (my husband and I painted the interior to save some money) or improperly cleaned walls, i.e., the painting subs SDMC hired. Nevertheless, SDMC stood behind its work and re-primered the problem areas at no charge to us. It is when things go awry - and something will always go awry on such a big project - that you discover the professionalism of the GC you hired. We knew we had hired the best company when we experienced how well it handled our concerns about the primer. Jon seamlessly incorporated the work we wanted to do into his project planning. He kept track of what we were doing and kept us on task to make sure we didn't slow the timeline down. He also had several meetings with us along the way to update us on progress being made. He made many recommendations and suggestions about ways to install things, materials to use, and tips for the french drain we decided to install. We benefitted a lot from his experience. Jon is such a pleasant guy that our only regret is we won't see him now that our project is done.

They are great and I love them. They are not cheap but their price is fair. I will use them again in the future.

Jon Hammer at San Diego Master Craftsmen did an outstanding job in helping us stick to our budget by identifying materials that we could reuse (still in good condition) while mitigating our water damage issue as a result of a poorly installed sliding glass door in our master bedroom. He was extremely professional and easy to work with. He understood the issue and took the time to explain the process as we went along. We've had a few good rainstorms since the reinstallation and weatherproofing of our doors and have had no leaks!

went very well, he was able to pull out me what I wanted and communicated clearly with me what was capable.

My wife and I recently had our master bathroom remodeled through Jon Hammer at San Diego Master Craftsmen. Jon was extremely personable and professional. He was very good at listening to what we wanted and understanding based on our budget, the materials we could use, and features we could have in our remodeled space. He advised us on all of the different options including the pros and cons which allowed us to decide which options best suited our needs and budget. Jon took the time to not only understand what we wanted in an end product, but as different pieces of the project were being completed he took the time to describe the construction behind it so we were able to know exactly what was being done and why. The results are amazing, especially the tile work, which is impeccable. We absolutely love our new bathroom and will be using San Diego Master Craftsmen for any remodeling we do in the future.

Jon was responsive, punctual and did the job himself when another installer was unable to participate. He was very pleasant to work with and he even came back later and took our old oven away.

John finished our bathroom remodeling project that had been poorly managed by a previous contractor. John did exactly what he said he would, on budget and on-time. His guys (plumber, drywaller and carpenter) were excellent, knowledgeable and pleasant to deal with. We highly recommend John to anybody who needs a top notch contractor.

I called San Diego Master Craftsmen after reading the many positive reviews on Angie's List. Jon answered the phone when I called and asked if he could call me back in about an hour. He returned the call shortly thereafter, as promised. I let him know that we were interested in getting an estimate. Jon asked me about our budget, and I let him know that we did not have a set budget -- rather, we had an idea of what we wanted for the bathroom and were interested in finding out how much it would cost to fulfill our vision. If it cost more than we wanted to spend, we could adjust our plans accordingly. Jon let me know that he prefers to know the budget up front and then work within that budget. I provided him a general description of our remodeling plans. Jon said that work that I described typically cost about $30,000. (I thought this sounded ridiculous.) Jon was very friendly throughout the conversation, and stressed the quality of work that he does. Although I kept waiting for him to offer to come to my home to give an estimate based on the actual space, this never happened. He told me that he would be available to answer any of my questions, and that I could call him after I got estimates from other contractors. I considered asking him pointedly to come to the house, but I decided that it wasn't worth it. I made it clear at the beginning of the conversation that I was looking for estimates, and I'm not going to pressure a contractor to come to my house if he is not otherwise inclined to do so. However, I'm certainly not going to give my business to someone who provides an excessive ballpark estimate without offering to look at the space. We subsequently received actual estimates from several other highly rated contractors, each of which was a fraction of the $30,000 that Jon mentioned to me on the phone. To clarify: We have no issue paying more for quality work. We were not looking for the cheapest contractor. We were, however, looking for a contractor that would take the time to come to our home and provide an estimate based on the actual work involved.