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Design Build Specialists Inc

4.7(
22
)

Kitchen and Bath Remodeling, Architects, General Remodeling,

... +7 more

About us

We are a design/build remodeling contractor in Novato. We are both the architect and the builder. We have a unique process to allow clients make an informed decision on how to proceed with any remodel project. We are experts at helping clients who have suffered an insurance loss either from fire or flood or other cause. We have won a number of national awards and the owner is active with National and local issues related to the remodeling industry. Additional phone - (415) 892-3932 .

Business highlights

45 years of trusted experience
Emergency Services Offered

Services we offer

3 D Architectural design shown in real time on large screen TV. Whole house remodels to room additions to outdoor living spaces to building granny units to kitchen and baths. We are very clever at design options. We are experts at Insurance restoration.

Services we don't offer

Single phase projects like just painting or just flooring.

Amenities

Warranties
Yes
Emergency Services
Yes

Accepted payment methods

Check
Financing Available
MasterCard
Visa

Photos of past projects

Reviews

4.722 Reviews
Write a review
Number of StarsImage of DistributionNumber of Ratings
5
64%
4
18%
3
5%
2
5%
1
9%
Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
4.9
value
4.5
professionalism
4.9
responsiveness
4.8
punctuality
4.8
Write a review
Showing 1-22 of 22 reviews
DANIEL L.
12/2016
5.0
remodeling, home remodeling
  + 0 more
Excellent quality work They were especially helpful with navigating the insurance process and helped me secure full payment from the insurance company after a loss and reconstruction. They also helped us complete enough of the project so that family could stay at the holidays.
Description of Work: Reconstruction after a flood in an upstairs bathroom that impacted three rooms, hall and the garage.
Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$33,000
Julia A.
04/2015
3.0
remodeling, home remodeling
  + 0 more
.
Description of Work: We ended up not using this company for a bathroom renovation. The plan (which we paid for) to do the work was way to high ($100,000+). We were able to get a bid for $70% less and went with another contractor to complete the job. So far we have been very pleased with the quality of the much lower bid.
Rating CategoryRating out of 5
$100
Response from Design Build Specialists Inc
This is a classic case of the husband and wife not being on the same page. The wife had one set of ideas and we worked up a budget based on those ideas. The husband, who I was never able to meet with, had other ideas. We never completed the process and ended at the budget. To infer that my price is 70% higher than someone else is misleading. Apples and Oranges. 18% of my budget was for the tile subcontractor alone. In my 30 years of remodeling in Marin these are the beginning tales of what does not end up well for clients. Notice they have not completed the project yet and I would guess they are doing some sort of a time and material contract. I hope this is all not the case they have a good experience in the end.
Sally E.
02/2015
5.0
home remodeling
  + -1 more
Beautiful outcome, great value for the money, no surprises, fabulous team. The team was very professional, courteous, and respectful of our home and our lives. They were alsoa very helpful in our decision-making as the project progressed.
Description of Work: Mark and his team have done multiple home maintenance, repair and upgrade jobs for us since we first met after a flood in 1996. He has remodeled our kitchen, rebuilt our hilly, curved driveway, garage improvements and cabinets, made ongoing repairs. Most recently he remodeled two bathrooms for us.
Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$50,000
Sally E.
08/2014
5.0
remodeling, home remodeling
  + 0 more
Everything was excellent. Preparation, planning, timeline, design, construction and results. All contractors were on time, respectful of our home, courteous, tidy and expert.
Description of Work: Bathroom remodel x2
Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$70,000
Cheryl H.
03/2014
5.0
architect
  + -1 more
Mark and his crew completely understood what we wanted to accomplish and shared our design aesthetic. They are very knowledgeable about what building products are available and helped us find the best vendors so we could pick out finishes we liked. They remained on schedule and always showed up when they said they would. Working with our lead carpenter, Steve, was a complete pleasure and it was fun working out design ideas on site with him. The results are stunning and exceeded our expectations.
Description of Work: A complete remodel of our circa 1961 kitchen, but original cabinet boxes were reused and refinished.
Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
4.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$55,000
DANIEL L.
12/2013
5.0
architect, concrete repair, doors, electrician, remodeling, handyman service, home remodeling, plumbing, sunrooms, woodworking
  + 8 more
We suffered water damage and Design Build helped through the process, including helping us understand the insurance process. We received excellent service. We would definitely hire again.
Description of Work: .
Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$23,000
Akiko S.
12/2013
5.0
handyman service, woodworking
  + 0 more
They did good work and they were fairly fast.
Description of Work: Design Build Specialists came out to put railings in the front steps. They also put safety boards in the back shower.
Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
Mitchell S.
08/2013
4.0
architect, home remodeling
  + 0 more
Took longer and cost more than expected, but the results were good.
Description of Work: Complete kitchen remodel
Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
4.0
value
3.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
4.0
punctuality
4.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$55,000
Mark C.
01/2013
5.0
architect, home remodeling
  + 0 more
Bill and Summer came to my home to look at a potential bathroom remodel. They provided a rough estimate of cost of services based on what I was looking to have completed. With minimal design work and my limited budget they were open and honest about not being the right company for the job. In the future if I have a project where I could benefit from design-build services, I'll contact them again to bid on the job.
Description of Work: Bathroom inspection and project estimate
Rating CategoryRating out of 5
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
Response from Design Build Specialists Inc
Member- Thank you for your feedback, I appreciate your taking the time. As you can see from some of the other feedback not everyone appreciates honest assessment. One of the below comments was a 30K bathroom that the client wanted to us to do because they appreciated our service and reputation, but then were actual mad at us and wrote a bad review, for not being able to do it for 13K. They ended up hiring an unlicensed guy and had a bad experience. As the saying goes" you can lead a horse to water but you cannot make him drink". Anyway I appreciate your comment. Let us know if we can help in any way. Mark Labourdette- Owner
Joel M.
10/2012
2.0
home remodeling
  + -1 more
They seem like nice people, probably suitable for many jobs. However, I wanted truly custom work, and already had many fairly detailed ideas. They seemed unable to relate to what I wanted, kept pitching generic solutions, and were unresponsive to my specific questions.
Description of Work: Bathroom remodel. They visited to see the site & take measurements, and I went to their shop a couple of times to develop a plan.
Rating CategoryRating out of 5
value
4.0
professionalism
3.0
responsiveness
2.0
$75
Response from Design Build Specialists Inc
Member- I am sorry we were no able to meet your needs. We discussed your project at length today and came to the conclusion that we could have been much better at explaining the cost of your unique design ideas so you could make the informed choice as to if that would work for you. Sometimes I think when the client choice is way out of line with the stated budget we fall into the trap of making the choice for you and try to steer the client to options that fit their budget. This is wrong because I have learned over the years that budgets can double and triple if we can get you excited enough about the design idea. The principle is “If the value of the idea exceeds the value you place on that amount of money you will do it”. We have done some pretty amazing projects when we have remembered this principle. Again I apologize for my team (Bill and Summer) not giving you this option. Mark Labourdette- Owner
Judy S.
05/2012
5.0
architect, remodeling, home remodeling
  + 1 more
Bill and Summer helped crystalize my ideas and gave excellent feedback on what would be good or not. Even the contractor stayed in touch throughout the whole job. Excellent subcontractors all.
Description of Work: Kitchen design refresh/remodel.
Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
4.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$28,000
Gail H.
04/2012
5.0
architect, remodeling, home remodeling
  + 1 more
A term work of workers who were totally professional. Completed the work in 2 1/2 weeks.
Description of Work: Remodeled kitchen & bath.
Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$30,000
Jim M.
03/2012
5.0
architect, remodeling, home remodeling
  + 1 more
Everyone on every crew was really helpful - informative - prompt - friendly and on top of everything they did a really slick job. Would definitely use them again and again! Just saw the "Lousy" review on Angie's List - gimme a break. Obviously these reviewers never actually worked with them and are just ax grinding for some reason. Design Build is awesome - can't wait to use them again!
Description of Work: Design Build Specialists were super professional and nice to deal with during our complicated kitchen remodel + misc code-required tasks in our mid century house.
Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$35,000
Donna J.
03/2012
4.0
architect, home remodeling
  + 0 more
See above
Description of Work: I purchase the $75 kitchen design package. it took awhile to set up the appointment but once the appointment was set we met and discussed my wishes and needs for our kitchen remodel. They provide me with a design presentation at their Novato office which included a possible floorplan and material selection. I was also given a price for the remodel which I indicated was over my budget. I told them my budget and they indicated they could not do the work for that budget. I said i was sorry and asked that the changes we had discussed for the floor plan be incorporated in the plan they sent me and they said they would. When I received the plan the changes were not made and the plan even had click and drag pieces in it. I was disappointed in the product I received. The firm was professional in their presentation but unwilling to work with me for the budget I had.
Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
4.0
value
3.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
4.0
punctuality
4.0
David W.
02/2012
1.0
remodeling
  + -1 more
No followup on company's behalf
Description of Work: Contacted the company for a whole house remodel via email (I live in Southern CA). They responded that they would be available for a review of the project and bid -- never heard back from them after that despite follow up emails
Rating CategoryRating out of 5
professionalism
1.0
responsiveness
1.0
punctuality
1.0
Response from Design Build Specialists Inc
We apologize that we were unable to respond to the needs of Member. We received his email on a Monday requesting an " interview...Fri b/w 10:30 am - 11:am until Sat noon…I will be scheduling other contractors for these days as well”. This was an exceptionally busy time for us and we were not available to meet. While we understand that we had no appointment or commitment to Member, it was our mistake in not responding that we would not be able to meet with him on short notice. In order to improve our service to all of our clients and potential clients, we met as a company and reviewed Member’s e-mail communication and re-committed to our standard of returning all client communication, phone calls and email alike, the same day received—including potential projects who have demands we cannot meet. On a personal note the fact that a potential client we did not meet and made no commitment to can give us an F is the one part of Angie's list that I find difficult to accept.
Tom E.
01/2012
4.0
architect, remodeling, home remodeling
  + 1 more
They do not return calls very quickly but they do get back to you.
Description of Work: They gave us a quote for remodeling.
Rating CategoryRating out of 5
professionalism
4.0
responsiveness
3.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
PETER P.
12/2011
1.0
handyman service, home remodeling
  + 0 more
SEE ABOVE
Description of Work: Came to house- took measurments- never got back to me with drawings or information . more than 3 months now. I want my deposit back.- will never give them any work.
Rating CategoryRating out of 5
responsiveness
1.0
$75
Response from Design Build Specialists Inc
Every week we talked about this client and every week it was the same thing- " I called and left a message and no return call" so I am flabbergasted at this feedback- Bill Johnson & Summer Vanagas , who met with them, will be back on January 3 2012 and will see if there is any additional information. The plans and estimate for the bathroom were completed a few days after they meet by me ( Mark Labourdette, the owner) and are in front of me now so I don’t understand what happened but will follow up ASAP. I apologize profusely to the member for whatever breakdown occurred.
Gail H.
05/2011
5.0
architect, remodeling, home remodeling
  + 1 more
Completed job in 2 weeks. Punctual, professional, non - intrusive - communicated well - covered & taped off construction site.
Description of Work: Remodeled kitchen & bathroom.
Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
4.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$35,000
Michael W.
02/2011
5.0
architect, concrete repair, handyman service
  + 1 more
It turned out beautifully. We like their quick response and their quality of work.
Description of Work: They repaired our carport and part of the cement pads.
Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
Joanne R.
06/2010
5.0
architect, remodeling, handyman service, home remodeling
  + 2 more
They were a very honest company to work with. I felt comfortable with the workers being alone in my home. I had an issue about 2 years later, outside of the warranty. They actually repaired it for free despite it being a bigger fix! I really appreciated their great follow up.
Description of Work: They remodeled a bathroom.
Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
4.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
SANDRA G.
12/2009
4.0
architect, remodeling
  + 0 more
They were actually in charge of hiring all the sub-contractors. Two of which we did not have good experiences with. One of them, a flooring company, the owner even admitted the work was shoddy. He did stand by his work, and it was redone three separate times until it was done to satisfaction. The other subcontractor was sent out to clear the areas damaged by water. They ended up breaking several things in my home. They didn't leave me any paperwork, so I never know when to expend them or if they could find my rugs. I felt they were very unprofessional. We ended up working with a foreman from Design Build Specialists on a later project, which he flaked out in. From my understanding, he was later let go from Design Build Specialists. I do feel however, that Design Build Specialists are very professional.
Description of Work: We had extensive storm damage on our home. Design Build Specialists was hired by our insurance company. They sent out a manager who was very helpful. He was great to work with, very responsive.
Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
4.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
penel T.
12/2009
5.0
architect, handyman service
  + 0 more
I am very happy with the work that he has done. He is top notch, A+! I won't look for anyone else. As long as he's still working, I'll use him.
Description of Work: I have been using him for over a year for handyman work.
Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro

    Contact information

    394 Bel Marin Keys Blvd Ste 5, Novato, CA 94949

    http://www.design-build-specialists.com

    Service hours

    Monday:
    8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
    Tuesday:
    8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
    Wednesday:
    8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
    Thursday:
    8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
    Friday:
    8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

    Licensing

    Bonded
    Insured
    Eco-friendly Accreditations

    LEED Accredited Professional
    No
    Energy Star Partner
    No
    EPA Lead-Safe Certified
    Yes
    Use Green Products or Work Practices
    Yes
    State Contractor License Requirements

    All statements concerning insurance, licenses, and bonds are informational only, and are self-reported. Since insurance, licenses and bonds can expire and can be cancelled, homeowners should always check such information for themselves. To find more licensing information for your state, visit our State Contractor License Requirements page.

    *Contact business to see additional licenses.

    Service Categories

    Kitchen and Bath Remodeling,
    Architects,
    General Remodeling,
    Handyman Services,
    Finished Carpentry and Woodworking,
    Concrete Pouring and Repair,
    Sunrooms and Patio Enclosures,
    Doors,
    Plumbing,
    Electrical

    FAQ

    Design Build Specialists Inc is currently rated 4.7 overall out of 5.

    Monday: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

    Tuesday: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

    Wednesday: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

    Thursday: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

    Friday: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

    Design Build Specialists Inc accepts the following forms of payment: Check,Financing Available,MasterCard,Visa
    No, Design Build Specialists Inc does not offer free project estimates.
    Yes, Design Build Specialists Inc offers eco-friendly accreditations.
    No, Design Build Specialists Inc does not offer a senior discount.
    Yes, Design Build Specialists Inc offers emergency services.
    Yes, Design Build Specialists Inc offers warranties.
    Design Build Specialists Inc offers the following services: 3 D Architectural design shown in real time on large screen TV. Whole house remodels to room additions to outdoor living spaces to building granny units to kitchen and baths. We are very clever at design options. We are experts at Insurance restoration.
    Single phase projects like just painting or just flooring.

    Contact information

    394 Bel Marin Keys Blvd Ste 5, Novato, CA 94949

    http://www.design-build-specialists.com

    Service hours

    Monday:
    8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
    Tuesday:
    8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
    Wednesday:
    8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
    Thursday:
    8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
    Friday:
    8:00 AM - 5:00 PM