Rans Group

I wrote a review of my experience with Steve Kane of Rans Group on 3/03/2014. Fast forward 2 years later and I called Steve to mention that a couple of our cabinet hinges seemed off. He was not happy to hear that and insisted that they ALL be replaced. He went to his supplier to let then know he wasn't happy with the product and proceeded to order new hinges for the entire job he had completed 2 years ago. All this was completed at no cost to us !! His integrity is a rarity!! I would not hesitate to recommend him as he is a perfectionist at his craft.

Steve was easy to talk to and very honest/straight forward regarding his opinion on custom cabinets and whether or not they are actually worth the money (especially since our intentions are to sell our home in the next three years). He gave some very helpful suggestions on options we might consider to keep the price down. I'm very grateful I took the time to call him before signing a contract at Lowe's.

WOW... Where to start. First I never go low bid. You just end up with problems and the price goes up higher than a better person anyway. Steve on the other hand had fair pricing. You may not agree but he is a professional, craftsman, efficient and artisan. I had finished my cabinets myself, and just like installing my floor - I knew my limitations. So I went about finding someone who could install my crown moulding PERFECTLY. I found Steve after some searching. I drew up some plans and found him here. He called me. And while he usually does really large jobs, he had time for my small one. Steve showed up on time and got to work. Mind you, my home doesn't have a square corner in it anywhere. This didn't fluster Steve. He navigated the poor construction of my house and installed the moulding PERFECTLY. Every corner matched like you would expect from the best finish cabinetry or fine piece of furniture. This was the last piece of the puzzle for my project and it went perfect. I would recommend Steve for any project. He was smart and skilled. And I guess these days you need to mention he was clean and could put sentences together. If you are looking for the best. Call Steve. You won't find him the cheapest - OR the most expensive. But what you will get is craftsmanship without compromise with no stress before or during the process. And in the end - you will look at the work and know you just increased the value of your home. I hope this helps you with your decision. Steve - thanks for everything !!!

At the beginning of our conversation, I thought Steve was going to be helpful. I had already had a bad experience with a contractor, who failed to follow-through. I explained to Steve that we already had purchased the counter top and I had a Home Depot invoice with the cabinet information (We had previously purchased Home Depot cabinets. They gave us a refund for the cabinets when our initial contractor flaked on us, although they couldn't give us a refund for the counter top because it had been custom made.) When Steve said he preferred to do his own measurements rather than go with someone else's, I had no problem with that. However, I did have a problem when he wanted to charge me a $65 "consulting fee" to perform this task. This was odd because other Angie's List contractors offered this for free. Then he wanted a 10% deposit to start the job. I didn't understand this--why 10% down when I'm paying for all the materials up front? $65 here, 10% there...and no work has even been done? Again, I already had a contractor flake on me and I needed to cover myself if Steve turned out to be another flaky contractor. When I voiced my concern, and even conceded to pay the $65, Steve really got difficult. He began telling me that I needed to "have skin in the game" for him to begin work and that he was trying to "squeeze me in" as if he was doing me a favor. I reminded him that I hadn't asked for any favors, just wanted to know when he was available and how much he would charge. Then he told me that he too was a landlord and had difficulties with contractors....however, that didn't seem to make him understand my situation any more. I told Steve I would consider paying him 50% when the job was 50% complete and the final 50% when the job was completed. At this point Steve said, never mind--and I completely agreed. I told him he was not the contractor for me. When I hung up the phone, I really began to question the advantage of using Angie's List. Then I talked to 2 other Angie's List contractors who were professional, courteous and considerate--they restored my faith in Angie's List. I hired one of them to do the kitchen cabinets and communication with him has been absolutely great! He's taken the measurements and reviewed the Home Depot invoice--at no extra cost. I look forward to him successfully completing the job so I can submit a good review in his behalf.

Steve went over the project with me personally: materials, cost, timeframe etc. Everything was ready for the installation. Steve exceeded my expectations: quality materials, great craftsmanship. Steve even set up my entertainment center. I couldnt be happier with the results.

Steve did an excellent job. He was always pleasant and arrived on time. Each day the work area was left neat & clean. I always like to get the best, and with Steve we know we did! He did a prefect job for us! Thanks Again Steve! Tom & DeAnna

My experience with Mr. Steve Kane of Rans Group was indeed a positive one. From the first phone call, which was returned promptly, I had a feeling that I finally found the right person for the job. He was, if I remember correctly, my fourth, possibly fifth estimate. From the very start, Steve took his time explaining what he could do, offered suggestions, and answered any and all questions presented by myself or my husband. He was even able to give us a rough estimate of cost after some discussion and when it came down to the final design and writing up a contract he wasn't far off. Early on in the process of finding the right person for the job, I never felt pressured by Steve. Once we decided to hire him, he wrote up a clear and concise contract detailing the work that would be done. Throughout the process of working with him, phone calls and email messages were always answered in a timely manner. I could not be happier with the results of my new cabintes, not to mention the custome hood he built . Steve's attention to detail is impeccable and it is evident that he truly loves what he does. He is passionate about his work. He also only handles one job at a time, so if he blocks out the time on his calendar for your job, he's all yours !! Steve is very personable, knowledgable in his craft, and an honest business man. I would not hesitate to recommend him to anyone.

He did terrific work. He did a beautiful carpentry job that is going to stand out and last for years. It was really a great piece of carpentry and I was really pleased with it. He did everything he said he would. He was there on time and he was punctual. He didn't mess around. He was there when he told me he would be pretty much to the second. He gave me an estimate and he came back with the gate when he said he would. He charged 50% upfront and the rest when he was done. I was impressed with the work. It was clean. It is a really good gate. He gave me realistic time frames. I could time my watch by him. He was very professional and he did everything I asked him to do. I would absolutely use him again.

He is a good guy. I used them in March. He is a hard worker. He is honest. He knows what he is doing.

Went well. More than happy. Much beeter and more beautiful than expected.

I met with Steve Kane, for the estimate. He was on time and very professional, but easy to talk to. It was obvious that he knew his trade very well and had done it for a long time. We talked back and forth for some time with him making some suggestions and then making a plan. He was able to quickly provide a drawing of what it would look like and an estimate at that time. He later provided the final drawings, measurements, the contract and payment schedule. He actually completed the project ahead of schedule. The detail work and the blending of the stain was awesome. Everyone that has seen it gives it a super wow and notes the detail work. Steve did everything he promised and then some. He was a pleasure to work with. I will definitely call him again if I have another project.

He did everything he said he would do and in the time frame he promised. Little things he said about how the old gate had been constructed told me that he had the knowledge of a master carpenter. And, true to his word, he came back with a gate that was sealed all the way around because of the way he had constructed it. He showed me how the old one was built and the way he explained it, it was obvious how the water had got in and started to rot it. I now have a good-looking, beautifully-built gate which will last for many years.

We needed a new entertainment center built into the corner of our family room to accommodate at new TV. We were told by another contractor that building at an angle would be impossible and that we should just tilt the TV. We were also told that the unit would not be able to butt up against the brick fireplace, which would've been our preference. Instead there would be a gap. Enter Steve Kane at Rans Group Inc. He came to our home and spent much time explaining exactly what he could do, and that included building the unit at an angle. He did agree with the other contractor that the unit would not be able to meet the brick, as I had hoped. I was unsure what the unit would look like, so he took all measurements home with him and brought back several versions of what he could do. Again, he was in our home for quite some time. He wanted to make sure everyone was on the same page and that we would be happy with his work. That day we agreed on one of the ideas he had come up with. Modified a few things, and sent him home with a deposit and a promised date for installation, that being Tuesday, June 19th. Last week he called me and asked if he could push installation to Friday. I told him that it would be a problem as the TV installers were coming on Wednesday. He said "no problem," he would make it work, and he did. He showed up Tuesday...on time. The unit in my family room is beautiful. Perfect. And for me...NOTHING is ever perfect! Yes, it is at an angle like he promised PLUS he was able to butt it up against the brick! He had said he didn't think he could do it, the other guy said "no way", but Steve found a way. I'm impressed. Where was Steve when we re-did the kitchen? Wish I had known him then.

I cannot praise Steve's attention to detail enough. He carefully presented me with options for moulding styles, then obtained the materials and pre-stained them in his shop. Every evening his tools would be neatly placed in a corner of the room, out of the way. He accomplished this job with minimal dust, as he did most of the sawing and cutting outside. The installation was flawless - probably because he measured each miter joint multiple times. He also installed a base shoe moulding around my kitchen island. I had some uneven walls, and we discussed options for dealing with them - I chose to avoid caulking the minimal voids since I don't like the resulting "sticky" feel of silicone caulking and felt that it would actually attract more dust. The voids are non-significant in my opinion. Why would you hire a cabinet maker for installing moulding? Because you want the joints tight, the wood surfaces sanded and finished properly, and the overall look and feel to complement your furniture and other trim. Steve may be more expensive than some, but the quality shows.

They came out, took pictures and gave us a ball park estimate based on our description of what we wanted and what we could afford. Came back with computer generated printouts and pictures and detailed prices and options. Hired them to do the job. The contract was very fair and professional with payments spread throught the job. I was able to see the cabinets as they were being hand built. All in all, totally satisfied. The cabinets are beautiful and perfect. I mean perfect.

I called RANS Group to discuss my plans for my kitchen and to see if I could actually get what I was looking for with the money I had to spend. Steve, the cabinetmaker and owner of RANS Group, came to my house and took extra time to explain numerous options and choices available to homeowners seeking to remodel or upgrade their kitchen. He assured us we could adjust the design in key places as required to make things fit in my budget. He took pitcures and made measurements and returned with a computer designed layout of my remodeled kitchen so I could actually see what it would look like. What impressed me was the depth of his knowledge and experience and his ability to talk the trade easily and to freely relay information to me about all of the wood types, costs, finishes, styles, hardware, etc. Everything was entered into the compouter and an itemized estimate was produced in which I could see all of th eexpenses for the project and we were able to adjust things to fit within my budget. I came to find out that Steve really is a master craftsman and a professional contractor. His knowledge and expertise in the field of woodworking and cabinetry are probably unmatched, at least by any others I had checked into. That depth of knowledge gives him an edge that allowed him to pull his resources together to design the kitchen specifically as I wanted. He was totally confident and made me feel at ease, too, and I really felt I could trust him to do the job well. After talknig and making chpouices over several meetings together, we settled on a stye of cabinets, doors and drawers, we picked our wood type (maple) and our color, a somewhat medium dark reddish brown. The other thing that make me feel totally confident in RANS Group was that their contractor's licenses all checked out, and all of the work I contracted them to do was written up very professionally into an itemized estimate / contract that described how payments were to be made throughout the project. It was actually easy for us to pay because payments were spread out over the various phases of the project. We signed the deal and Steve bought the wood and began making the cabinets in his shop. We were went to the shop to see the cabinets in work. Impressive! When they came to our house they cordoned off the kitchen with plastic sheeting to keep the rest of our house clean during the demolition and rework of our kitchen. It took about 5 days to totally remove all the old cabinets and to install the new ones. When he was working on the kitchen I was so impressed I new I had made the right decision to use RANS Group. Their tools and equipment were impressive and the level of detail turned out to be beyond our expectations. We are totally pleased and very, very happy with how it turned out. I would highly recommend Steve and RANS Group to anyone considering a kitchen remodeler, or cabinet maker or any general contractor. We plan to use RANS Group again for other jobs we have in our house the future.

From our first meeting with Steve, we were confidant he was the one to hire. We went through the motions of getting additional estimates but the others just did not make us feel as comfortable as we did with Steve. We had just bought an older home and the kitchen need a major update, it felt cramped and dark with outdated fluorescent lighting, a wall separating the kitchen from the family room (with a small pass through opening), the cabinets were in disrepair, the line for the gas stove had been installed in such a way that a hole had been be dug into the wall to allow room for the handle on the shut off valve, plus we had a total lack of storage space. The kitchen also had an existing breakfast nook area with an 8ft long bench built into the wall under the bay window, we couldn?t remove the bench, we didn?t want the bench, what we wanted was additional storage. Steve listened to our plans for the kitchen and came up with some great recommendations for lighting placement and cabinet design that would work within our budget. Steve was very punctual, he showed up when he said he would and stayed on target with his construction schedule. Most importantly, he did fantastic work. We had the upper portion of the wall between the kitchen and family room removed and pendant lights installed and the lower section of that same wall cut down to cabinet height, allowing for a nice wide countertop work area that overhangs in to the family room, allowing for bar stool seating. The fluorescent lighting was replaced with six recessed can lights. The gas line was relocated and a new shutoff valve installed, allowing our stove to be recessed against the wall and flush with the base cabinets. He built new upper cabinets, including corner units, refaced the base cabinets, and free standing pantry. Best of all he built cabinets creating an L shaped workspace in the nook area that fit perfectly over the bench. The craftsmanship is amazing. Solid, well designed pieces that fit perfectly together. We went from a small cramped dark beat up kitchen to one that is open and bright with lots of storage space and counter space as well. We would defiantly hire Steve again and recommend him to anyone looking for custom cabinetwork or just a hard working and honest general contractor with an eye for design

Steve scheduled an initial appointment for measuring and discussing details; we confirmed these later through several phone conversations as he worked through attempting to find a pre-manufactured window that would not require re-framing the window openings. After he was unsuccessful in finding pre-fab windows, he proposed fabricating them with energy-efficient glazing and painted hardwood frames. He fully assembled them in his shop. Installation required using one helper for various tasks, and took approximately two days for each set of two windows the exterior trim required some additional material and a repeat visit for more coats of paint. Steve and his helper kept the dust to a minimum and vacuumed the area after the project was completed. I did have to clean minor dust from the bathroom counter surfaces but expected to do this anyway.

As usual with Steve and his helper, John, the work was smooth and professional from the beginning. The vent fans' plywood plenums are caulked and screwed together, and create nearly no vibration noise. The quality of the joinery makes me want to paint them - but I have to keep reminding myself that it's an attic and too much decoration is a total waste of time! The whole house fan doesn't sound like a jet engine, but works as well - and I'm getting a rebate from the utility company. I'm looking forward to their performance July through September, our hottest months.

Steve prepared detailed, hand-drawn plans (he amazed the Santa Clarita building dept) so we could see exactly what we were getting. When he submitted for a building permit, he was told to redraw them on larger-format paper, which he did at no cost to us. The work is still in process as I write this, but I did not want to wait to recommend his superb skills and detailed construction work. I have also seen his interior cabinetry and remodel work in a Chatsworth condominium. He measures four times before he cuts anything, he cleans up and most important, he has maintained his contractor's license since 1984. He shows up on time, lets me know when he must leave early and when he will return. He has also worked well with the building inspector. Prior to placing the stair treads, I applied Timbor, a borate-based pesticide/fungicide, then Steve primed & painted all wood surfaces. He's now installing the bannister & railing, and will build the door and apply siding next.