True North Designs

did not proceed

They were fine.

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unknown

Everything went very well.

It all turned out beautiful.

Paul and his subs are highly skilled professionals in their field with proper licenses. They have high standards and do good quality work. I wanted to add new French doors in an exterior wall and he was the only contractor who corrected predicted the structural ramifications as required by code. I have an old fixer-upper and had a long list of work to bring the house up-to-date and Paul did a fantastic job. It's hard to believe the before and after. My new kitchen and bathroom turned out great and everything is functioning well. Paul is also very creative and comes up with excellent solutions to tough problems which is almost an everyday occurrence for an older house remodel with hidden surprises. In addition, Paul was very accommodating to design modifications which I very much appreciated. It's obvious he has many years in the business and is a pro. There were only two areas that didn't meet my expectation. First, the price increased by about 15% from the original estimate. This is partly due to design changes, partly due to unforeseeable work due to an old house and others are due to lack of detail in the original estimate. For example, the structural work cost substantially more than originally estimated. Overall, 15% is not too bad considering the scope of the project. Secondly, I expected that Paul would be at the job site to inspect the work performed at the end of each day. Even though this did not meet my original expectation, Paul stands behind his work and has been responsive to every issue and request and made appropriate corrections as necessary. With regards to schedule, Paul was diligent in keeping to his original estimate and allowed me to meet my refinancing deadline which was greatly appreciated. In summary, True North is not the cheapest but if you want high quality work done on-time, I would recommend Paul North.

The man was pleasant and nice enough. We decided to go with a different company because a difference in design and aesthetic approach.

Paul was a very sincere and honest guy. We didn't end up going with him because we found someone who fit better with what we wanted do, but Paul should definitely be included on a list for people needing a qualified contractor.

It went very well. Paul did everything he said he would do. he is conscientious and his crew did a very good job. refinishing a deck is very much about the prep work -- and they did a thorough job of sanding and preping both decks. They paid attention to detail also. Paul made sure at every stage that he and I were on the same page. Had a party shortyl after job was finished and got a huge number of compiments on the deck. a number of people said it looked like a hard wood floor!!

Both times that Paul came to my house and the email communications I had with him, he seemed honest and straightforward. He gave me some advice about different aspects of my project without trying to sell himself. Even though I didn't use him for any work, I wanted to give him a favorable review because he was easy to deal with both times that I contacted him.

No work done, but he seems like a good professional and has offered helpful hints and options that I had not thought of (or seen in online searches).

He was clear, calm, professional, very competent, and his estimate was very competitive. Unfortunately, he was unable to start our job for more than a month because he was booked up with other work, so we went with someone else. We were very impressed with him and hope to use him for any other work we have done.

True North did a great job with the remodeling. Paul, our general contractor, was very professional and focused on the quality of the work being completed. We had first approached him with 2 different ideas – the first being a remodeling of the kitchen and 3 bathrooms, and the second idea being a larger job that would require reconfiguring the layout of the house in addition to remodeling the kitchen and bathrooms. Paul was very upfront with us as to what the larger job would entail and laid out a number of risks/problems that could potentially occur – he wanted to make sure we thought everything through and also wanted to make sure we got the best value out of our project. We appreciated his candor as well as his concern for us getting the most out of our remodeling. In the end, we decided to proceed with the smaller remodeling job. Paul’s team did a great job of cordoning off the areas being worked on to help reduce the amount of dust/dirt spreading to the rest of the house, and they were also very good about cleaning up the job site every day. Throughout the process, Paul was very responsive to any concerns or questions we had regarding the remodeling. We felt Paul and his team held themselves to higher standards regarding the quality of their work, and if there ever was a question of the quality, Paul was very quick to address it. Regarding pricing, we thought Paul presented a fair bid on the work. We bid out the work to a few different contractors and Paul’s bid was very competitive. He also tried to stay true to his bid as he got deeper in the project, although there were adjustments made as unexpected conditions were uncovered and we made changes to the scope of work. If there was one area in which we had hoped would have gone differently, it would be the amount of time it took to complete the work. Originally, we were told that the work could potentially be completed in 8 weeks, but it ultimately took closer to 16 weeks. We understood that some of that delay was due to some additional work that was required as a result of some unforeseen conditions, but we also felt that some of the delay could have been prevented – largely by getting the cabinetry lined up earlier. This is the main reason why we gave a "B" rating for punctuality instead of an "A". Overall, we are extremely happy with the remodeling work. It looks fabulous! Paul has also been great with any follow up on items we noticed after the final inspection, which we really appreciate. It was a pleasure to work with Paul and his team.

Paul North of True North Designs was contracted to replace the old wood windows in my kitchen with new, upgraded wood windows and frames. One of these windows was a bay window with louvers in the side panels and one was a fixed window, also with louvers. I requested that the new windows have a more complex design with divided lights across the top, and double hung sash windows on each side window, and also asked for Craftsman-style wood moldings be installed around the windows on the interior . Paul listened carefully and the result was exactly what I wanted. During the window replacement, termite damaged wood was discovered and replaced, and due to the non-standard size of the original bay window, Paul needed to install three individual windows to match the original space. The stucco needed to be broken out around the window during the replacement, but was patched and painted and looks beautiful. The windows look spectacular on both the inside and outside. I have used Paul North several times in the past, and I am always impressed with the quality of his work, and this time was no exception.

My overall experience with the company was very good. I don't remember him being late at all.

True North got the job because Paul North, the proprietor, was the only of at least 4 contractors who accurately diagnosed the source of the leaking. Unlike the other contractors, Paul got down on his hands and knees in the dirt to thoroughly inspect the damaged area to identify the source of the water intrusion. By doing so, he was able to identify water entry points surrounding the decorative wooden bench/planter that none of the other contractors spotted. In addition, Paul quickly identified the need for a French drain and was quickly able to formulate a plan for the drain that would be effective in draining water away from the house foundation. All the other contractors made proposals that would not have addressed the problem or addressed it only partially. It was clear that Paul analyzed and diagnosed the problem from a position of experience and skill. Paul started the work quickly and had it completed in a timely fashion. All of Paul's subcontractors were professional, polite, and competent. When the work was complete, Paul ensured that the work site was left clean and neat. Since True North completed its work, I have water tested the French drain. In addition, there are been two or three decent rainfalls since the work was completed. No water has entered the house since True North completed the job.

Our existing wood back deck (built in 1972) had rotted and repairs were no longer sufficient; it needed to be replaced. The job was complicated because the deck was large (about 400 sq. ft.), elevated (about 6 ft.) on a hillside slope, needed Homeowners Association approval and a LA City permit complicated by the fact that we live in the Mulholland Scenic Parkway zone which has additional requirements. We looked at a number of builders before selecting True North Designs. We were impressed by their Angie's List recommendations, the quality of their past work, their professionalism and that they were the only contractor who was willing to help in arranging Engineering plans and drawings and helping us get the City permit. The old deck, with its pergola/trellis structure would be removed and replaced with a new heart of redwood deck and staircase, stained for appearance and water protection, with concrete pad footings (with rebar) and pressure-treated posts, beams, joists, etc., with concealed stainless steel deck fasteners, according to a design we had found in a Deck Design book. The ground beneath was to be covered with gravel. The initial estimate for all the work was $21,600, which was modified by the Engineer (the deck was extremely well-engineered, possibly even over-engineered, but we wanted it to be sturdy enough to entertain with many people on it in perfect safety) to $24,100. We got Homeowners Assoc. approval quickly, but it took 6 weeks to get the LA City permit, requiring 4 or 5 visits by Paul North, plus additional visits by my wife and myself, before we finally got the permit. Without Paul's assistance, I doubt we could have gotten our permit or completed this project. The project took longer than expected, due to some unanticipated issues with the ground, underground pipe locations, additional requirements by the City inspector, etc. The finished deck is beautiful. We've entertained on it several times and everyone has commented very favorably on it. It was a terrific, extremely well-engineered job and is built as solid as can be. There were additional costs, due to additional requirements from the City inspector resulting in additional charges by the Engineer (changes in the plans required by the City), labor and material costs, plus increases in costs of materials and repairs, which brought the overall cost of the project to $27,000. Also, the schedule slipped. But the project was completed on a revised deadline and we are very happy with the result (see photos).

He was the only person to show up on time for the estimate. He looked around and gave me a verbal estimate followed by a written estimate. They showed up on time and I was SHOCKED to see how much was done the first day. They didn't leave a mess. They did bring dogs which I didn't know they would do. It's ok because I like dogs but some people don't. They finished on time and the work was done far beyond my expectations. I kept adding little jobs because of their efficiency and how great the price was. I plan on using them for the complete kitchen job.

This job was very quick & without complication. We decided to go with artificial grass but first the front yard needed to be re-done including grading as mentioned above. True North did all the prep work as required by the turf company (take down the top soil 4", level out/flatten area). In addition, we were faced with an interesting slope in 2 directions in our yard - one slight slope towards the house and one slope parallel along with the street incline. This has been a problem in the past so we decided to eliminate the parallel slope by leveling out that part of the yard. True North installed a 12 foot x 12" x 1/2" piece of steel as our new "wall" holding back the dirt towards the street (see pictures). An additional concrete retaining wall was poured along the side of the property to allow for the now raised height of the yard. Also, the old concrete walkway was removed and new walkway pads were poured, this time done right with rebar. Everything was done to match drawings provided by the homeowner, even organic-shaped pads and resolving some interesting transitions from a now level yard to a sloping sidewalk. In addition, a french drain was installed along the entire length of the yard to deal with water run-off. Construction was painless and went over well & fast. Potential questions were dealt with quickly, fixes done normally next-day as they arose in the afternoon when I came home from work. Once again a pleasant experience considering all the horror stories one hears about contractors out there. Thank you Paul.

I have a rental property that was in dire need of major repairs. I have used Paul North in the past for work on my own house(wood windows, custom casements, wood siding, smooth coat stucco, and wood fencing/gates)and was impressed with the quality of his product, so I called him to assist with many of the rental repairs. This overall job really consisted of many individual jobs that took place over a period of several months. Paul was very thorough in his assessment of each job I asked him to do, both in determining what was the best approach to achieve the visual results I desired, as well as ensuring the job would be structurally sound and built to last. He always had multiple options for the work I requested be done, in order to try to provide the best product for my budget. This usually required that he spend extra time to thoroughly think through all of the possible approaches to a job. Although I often had specific ideas about the way I wanted some of the projects to be done, Paul also offered alternatives, and provided me with quotes for each. One notable suggestion from Paul was that I re-do my rental entry porch ceiling with tongue and groove redwood, instead of replacing the stucco as I was planning to do. The difference in price was not excessive, so I chose the redwood. The results were phenomenal and even the building inspector commented on how beautiful it looked! Paul and his crew were a pleasure to work with(as always). I highly recommend True North Designs.

When we needed all the windows in our home replaced and the house painted, we asked around for anyone who knew a highly competent contractor. Mr. North came highly recommended to us, and though we got another bid for the project which was lower, we decided to go with True North Designs because we wanted a top quality job. We told Mr. North this in the beginning. He obtained the city permit for us, replaced 13 windows and 1 sliding door set,installed shear panel along the back wall of the house and then installed stucco on the entire wall. From looking at the flashings installed by the carpenters, and then the stucco patching of the window surrounds that were removed so that these flashings could be properly installed, it was apparent that Mr. North and his crew were extremely knowledgeable about flashing systems, which was important to us since some of the old windows had allowed moisture into the house. We also requested of Mr. North that his crews do a daily clean up and leave the project spotless. While no one is ever perfect in this regard, we were very impressed at how much attention was given to keeping the grounds clean and free of debris. We were so impressed with his work we decided to trust him to replace our sod and sprinkler system, which just got completed. We did not realize how complicated this project would be. First the grass had to be killed over a 12 day period, then the sod removed, then the ground tilled with a machine, and another machine to dig ditches for the new sprinkler lines which had to go deep into the ground, then the dirt mixed with a soil enrichment compound, then a topping mix spread out, and the sod installed and rolled. While we did not realize that the whole process would take 3 weeks, we appreciated that Mr. North was here every day to supervise the whole process, even though his workers seemed to know exactly what to do.

This project went over very well & quick! This is the second time we worked with True North Designs after finishing our home remodel & being very satisfied. We added a concrete patio and had very specific plans in mind which included 2" wide strips of river rock to form a geometric pattern in the concrete. Mr. North gave us a clear outline of the scope of work and once again was quick & professional when changes needed to occur (again due to our location on a hillside and the scope of work being clear once the excavation had been completed) - the type of construction for the retaining wall was completely changed during the project, something that did not set us back in any way though which was nice. The wall was finished quickly and the patio itself was poured in a day & finished very smooth. The 2" strips turned out great which were later filled with mortar & river rock (The rock itself was something we did not have time to research so Mr. North brought us samples which was very nice). Mr. North suggested a high-gloss clear coat to protect the rocks which we were not sure about but it turned out great, just as promised based on the contractor's previous experience. In addition, we built a custom set of stairs leading up to the back door of an existing garage using Trex material. The stairs were a mixture of steps & stadium seating per drawings that we provided and Mr. North once again went above & beyond our expectations by enhancing our original idea of simply cutting the edges of the 2" x 4s" (mainly due to cost) and instead mitering all the corners, which turned out amazing. Quality work! Thank you!

We decided to work with True North Designs based on recommendations by our architect. Mr. North was very professional in giving estimates and talking about what we might face in remodeling on a hillside (including city permits) and the structural damage our house had received during its lifetime. Construction started and soon new major issues were unearthed (literally) like old sepig pits that were part of the reason for the house sagging or bad old construction that needed to be fixed in order to keep the house safe in the first place (like a charred 2x4 set on fire by a welding plumber who knows how long a ago). Mr. North was very reasonable in changing his construction plans and working with us on changing costs on both ends. Also throughout the process we added features here and there or changed our design specs, and again Mr. North was always very accomodating and worked out the budget changes (if any) with us. Sub-contractors (electrical, plumbing, heat/AC, framing, steel/welding, concrete pouring etc) were all handled exceptionally well over the next few months to a point where I almost never had to deal with subcontractors myself (the one time I did a new plumber was hired which was good). The main problem we encountered was a framing contractor sub-contracting out the work himself, which ended up in very shotty framing work - again Mr. North was on the ball and cancelled our work with them and also ended up doing a lot of framing himself to speed up the process and get back on track with our schedule. I must also note that we ran into several problems with the city and its permit department - not on our end but mainly due to inspectors having issues and contradicting themselves, or inspectors leaving their posts and new inspectors not knowing what had been done. Mr. North was always there to help & clarify both to us what was going on and to go to the city (sometimes personally) and set things straight. The house turned out great and we still get complimets from everywhere. Many finishing touches were completed by Mr. North himself as he is a very skilled carpenter (e.g. wrapping a post in birch plywood to match the stairs, balcony railings specific to our design). We have and still recommend Mr. North to anyone who asks and are still in contact with him - looking forward to working together in the future.

Job was completed in one week. Everything went so smoothly, and the men cleaned up the work area every day. There was one unexpected problem that caused a plumber to be called that cost an extra $300. Other than that the project was on budget exactly.