Cal Preserving

I received a coupon offer for deck maintenance offered by Cal Preserving. I contacted the owner and after he came by to take a look at the project he submitted a very reasonable estimate for additional work for the deck / surrounding rail structure. After agreeing on the next steps, the team started working on the deck and everything was finished in 2 days. I am very happy with the results. The deck and surrounding rail look nice and in good shape.

My deck is attached to an additional garage-like structure which they also restored that as well. They did a very thorough job. They were personable, honest, professional and easy to work with.

Excellent - see information above.

I responded to an Angie's List coupon offer to refinish my deck. Bruce Watkins responded very fast and scheduled a job estimate within 3 days. The deck was in very good repair but had mildew and moss after the especially wet winter. We scheduled a start date after accepting the estimate. It was raining, however Bruce said that would be perfect because they intended to start with powerwashing. Only one person was sent to complete the job, which was not sufficient to complete it within one day, so he completed the powerwashing but he did leave behind a mess of leaves and mud.Our contract called for sanding the handrails of the fencing around the deck, then sealing the redwood fencing and staining the handrails. The next week 3 men were sent to sand the handrails. That job was completed quickly. The crew powerwashed the sawdust from the job site and left. After the fencing dried, a day or two later, two men returned to seal and stain the fencing around the deck. Since the job could not be completed in the time allocated, one man returned for a fourth day to complete the job. Overall the deck looks good after it was completed. Bruce honored the price even though he underestimated the complexity of the job. When obtaining your estimate from Cal Preserving, make sure you have a detailed list of the tasks that need to be performed including clean up afterwards and a clear description of what is included. Bruce is very professional but he is in business to make money also.

Everyone says the deck looks brand new.

The estimator was quick- in and out of there very fast. The only reason I had to be there was because the deck is only accessible from the 2nd floor inside the house, otherwise I wouldn't have had to be there.Bruce @ CAL Preserving was very friendly in his emails and phone conversations. It actually took me a while to get back to him after his estimate.I had purchased an Angie's List deal $200 for $400 to include steps 1,2, 3, and 4, up to 200 sq ft of deck, not including sanding or rails. I was expecting the total cost to be much, much less than what it was once finished, to be quite honest. When all was said and done, the deck looks like new though. It was finished in a weekend. And, aside from the pre-paid Angie's List coupon, I did not have to pay anything until they were completely finished and I was satisfied.

The owner gave an estimate and us choices of services. The workers arrived on time and worked hard. The decks were much filthier than we thought. Now they look fabulous - almost brand new. The only thing I would recommend is that everything be put back where it was when the workers arrived.

I used them because I had a groupon. What stood out most was they were fast, great job and reasonable.

The company is great if you are in the market for a deck or a complete change in the look of your deck, I would highly recommend them. At the time I was not ready to spend this much but I was made to feel it was so important. Good salesman, my fault I didn't have to do anything. They did an excellent job and were hard workers, punctual, professional and their work is excellent. If you can afford to make your deck look great, I would go for it! I really does look fantastic.

They were very quick to get the job started after I approved the estimate and I opted for everything they quoted me (including bleaching and sanding). But when the job was done the price on the final invoice somehow went up $100 from the original estimate even though I was not notified why. So I just paid the original amount quoted and they didn't say anything, they cashed my check. I had to contact them to get a copy of my invoice showing paid in full and to get a follow up email. Then when the owner asked if I was happy with the job I pointed out some small spots on the railings I felt could've been done better and I even sent photos as proof, I was told: "yea, that is some sanding we could have done but it would have been additional cost to you. If you don?t address it by the next time we come to redo the deck (~two years), remind me and we can address it then. It might actually come off with power-washing then as it will have weathered more by then." so I can live with it the way it is for two more years, but I wonder why he didn't contact me before the job was done to let me know this. All-in-all, my little deck looks good (but not great) and I would not recommend their services or use them again.

Bruce, the owner, was very cordial, always available if you needed him and provided a very good breakdown estimate on the job. He allowed me the opportunity to pick and chose what I would like to do, with no pressure. The job took about a week and a half because of weather. They powerwashed the decks, set the screws/nails, sand (Optional), repair the deck (Extra) and then preserve. The only glitch was when they were sanding, one of the workers decided to just toss the debris onto our lawn. My wife caught it and they eventually vacuumed it up. Before the deck repair, Garrison (The carpenter) showed up from the company to estimate what lumber and supplies he needed. He was very professional, courteous and by the way he talked, showed his knowledge of the lumber world. He suggested a lower grade of wood and basically saved me $600 while still looking nice! I highly recommend his advice, thanks!!!! Note: If your deck is kind of greyish looking, just powerwashing and putting on the preservative won't do. Even though a bit more expensive, I highly recommend sanding it first....big difference!

I call for an estimate after seeing an advertisement for Cal Preserving. We didn't actually schedule for 6 months later, due to "economics". Confient after reading a lot of Angie's List reviews, I finally scheduled an appointment to do the work. Bruce is very responsive through email or calls. We were able to schedule relatively easily. In fact, since I was working on a day they'd "be in the area", they actually came on a day when no one was home, to start the power washing/cleaning phase. Even though mostly everything went smoothly, I would not do that next time, as a practice. Bruce did the initial estimate, but did not come for the actual work. I guess he is based in the South Bay, and I'm in Oakland. He relied on his 2 workers: one very experienced one and a younger helper. The next day, the workers came back to place the protective stain. They worked efficiently and diligently. They were very flexible with my time, as I had an errand I had to make during the process. The smell from the stain product was quite noticeable for a couple weeks. We have a funny draft through the front door that exacerbated it. I had forgotten to ask about VOC free products! After almost a month, all that remains is an almost pleasant redwood scent. Now, the water just dances off the wood and we are protected for the winter! There was, as in the ads, a dramatic difference in the look of the whole deck. It's quite beautiful. We're very happy to have a clean deck again that will no longer attract dirt! I had initially wanted a dark stain, but Bruce recommended against it, as he mentioned a colored stain would eventally wear off unevenly and a natural deck would be easier to maintain. Overall, a very good/excellent job! Most folks say the price is excellent too, when compared to other estimates. A thousand dollars is just a lot of money to me as a new homeowner. Bruce gave us the Angie's List 10% discount, which helped. Thanks, Bruce!

The first attempt at cleaning and applying preservative to my deck did not work out well. Bruce ( the owner) came out to my house, took a look at the work and instantly agreed that it needed to be redone. Bruce worked with me until we both agreed that the deck looks great. I appreciate Bruce's commitment to high quality work and excellent customer service.

I am very happy with the work that was done by Cal Preserving. Bruce Watkins delivered on everything that was promised on his website and did it in a professional and timely manner. He has a large crew so the work was completed quickly and the results are excellent. My 515 sq ft ,12 yr old redwood deck was repaired, power washed, bleached and preserved in 4 days and it looks like new again. I initially called Bruce after a lot of research and other estimates and chose him because of the testimonials and the services he offered. The crew was willing to move and replace the furniture and plants on the deck. The deck had areas that needed repair including replacement of boards and setting of nails and screws. The sanding was a critical component of the excellent result and worth the price. Bruce asked for no money until the job was completed and I was satisfied with the results. I will be using this company in the future and highly recommend them to others. I would not have heard of them except for Angie's list and appreciated both that referral and the Angie's list coupon they offered. They certainly deserve the Angie's list Super Service award.

Superior work but horrible with estimated arrival times. Give yourself plenty of room to wait for service.

Bruce showed up on time and gave a very reasonable estimate. When his crew came back to do the work, I was very impressed by the result. My i-dont-know-how-old brick pavement was an eye sore with moss, mildew, dirt and weed growing in between the bricks. After the power washer, the pavement look great. I would highly recommend the service to every one.

Bruce came and gave me the estimate, promptly, and discussed options. It ended up being cheaper since I did not opt for sanding, the other 2 bids I got were almost identical in price when I compare apples to apples, meaning including sanding - both other providers said they did not recommend not sanding. I did not think it was worth another $2000. Pros - I got to pick what level I wanted to go to, which was driven by what I could afford. My main goal was to improve the looks and protect against water. It looks great, I spent what I could afford, and I am happy. Bruce also came by after job was done to inspect, and sent his team back to do some follow up. The crew was very friendly, and patiently rolled on all the preservative. They also did some decent repair of some lattice I have that, as lattice does, had gotten a little loose. Cons - could have communicated during the work a little more, but if I asked I got straight answers. Would have liked to see actual sample (and maybe with and without sanding) so I could see color and finish before moving ahead (that said I am happy with what I got). I would have liked a little more info on the materials used, too - the website has good info, and I was directed to it, but when someone is standing right there it is easy to just tell me, I would have preferred that, even a brochure showing the materials used so I could look it up myself, that would have been more to my liking. I also would have preferred maybe an option of fixing a couple of spots where after I inspected I thought could have used a repair (like an edge board bolted to the concrete walkway that has pulled away a bit). I did not see it before or would have asked for it to be re-bolted. These things are small details, the net is I got a good job and could afford it. And the deck looks almost new.

Bruce is great; very honest and responsive.

Bruce Watkins and his crew were professional from start to finish. Our gray weathered deck, of indeterminate age, was transformed into a beautiful, new-looking deck in two days. Bruce priced the washing/ preserving and possible sanding separately, so we could decide after washing whether sanding was needed. It was -- pressure-washing creates grooves -- and they finished it up the second day.

Quite well. They started immediately. The staff that came to do the work were friendly, careful, professional and offered honest suggestions.

everythign went very well. No problems at all

The services were great, they were very prompt, and the deck looks great still. They did a good job and I?d recommend them. The price seemed reasonable.

It was very good. I was happy. I've had them do work for me before. They were on time and efficient. I was very pleased with the work.

The quick answer: Overall, it went very, very well. The longer answer: Having a redwood deck redone is a bit worrisome, if you've been doing it yourself (more or less). The cost involved, of course, and then there's the issue of the power-washing, and whether it's a good idea with redwood (it is, if done properly, by professionals). In my case, the redo involved, also, sanding, since I'd badly applied deck oil previously. So I was not only banking on Bruce Watkins doing a good diagnosis of what was required, but trusting him also to manage the job and produce an excellent result. My verdict? I couldn't be happier. The deck itself has been transformed: it looks beautiful, as it never did before. But more so, Cal Preserving is just a highly professional operation. That starts with Bruce, of course, who is always available and personable and willing to talk and explain. But when it comes down to it, Cal Preserving is only as good as the workers employed. And Bruce obviously knows what he's doing: the talented workers did a great job, with thoroughness, promptness, and general excellence. It was a three-day job, and it couldn't have gone more smoothly. I would not hesitate to rely on Cal Preserving, and they'll be taking care of my deck for as long as I own it.

It was an okay experience. The refinishing work was fine but some of the deck repair work didn?t turn out well because they didn?t quite do what they said they would.