Constraction reviews in San Francisco, California

We've had AGC do several projects at our house, including a major kitchen remodel and a minor bathroom upgrade. Aaron and his firm have been great in every way: high quality work, reasonable prices, on-time and on-budget, good communications, good coordination with designers and subcontractors, they show up when they say they will, they give good advice on basic decisions and when surprises pop up, and they leave the job site clean. I can't ask for anything more.

What can I say? Aaron is the person to call, for anything. Not only is he extremely knowledgable but he is also a very reasonable and kind person. I do not trust many people, I trust Aaron. Period.

I met him when we moved into our house and I needed an estimate on some pest work, found him randomly on Yelp. He came over and told me to not worry about fixing the small area since it would take so long for the pests to so any significant damage, we would have had to already replace the entire deck due to the age of the wood. I love logical thinking.

He came to my rescue when our upstairs flooded and I was home alone with a newborn. Talked me through what to do and reassured me that I had not destroyed our house.

I trust him to tell me the truth and to do a good job. Not good, great. Had one of his subcontractors come to repair my dining room ceiling (after aforementioned flood), pretty sure that the room was cleaner when she left then when she came. And the ceiling was flawless.

My husband is actually very handy around the house and is a diehard DIY'er. So it says a lot for him to trust someone else to do the work. And the work that AGC did for us was excellent. They replaced galvanized piping with copper which is located underneath a 1920's house. Not the easiest thing to do especially in the middle of winter. So to do this in just a few short days was incredible. We were able to move in earlier than scheduled thanks to Aaron and Dustin. They are also very professional and reliable, showing up to the job when they actually say they will. Unheard of, right? While my husband still likes to tool around the house, he knows well enough to call AGC when necessary.

The entire AGC team is incredible. My wife and I did a full gut remodel/rebuild on a 1912 house in San Francisco. We took the entire house down to the studs and then moved and replaced all the studs. To say we were terrified is a complete understatement. We talked to several GC's, and were referred to Aaron Gordon by our architect. He stood out from the start, and there was really no question who we'd go with after meeting with him and running through his process. He broke down and explained every aspect of the project, and priced out the entire thing in advance. And this wasn't a rough ballpark quote like you get from most GCs, it was down to every detail. We were always in the loop on every aspect of the project. We had bi-weekly onsite check ins, and they provided weekly summaries of work completed and what was on the schedule for the coming week. We were never in the dark.

Most importantly, I am happy to say now that the project is over, there were no surprises, and they finished on time and on budget (slightly below actually). That's quite an accomplishment considering the scope of work involved. Their quality is top notch, and the entire team is 100% professional. Not to mention they are just genuinely really good people. They would repeatedly go above and beyond what's expected. Just as one example (to which there are many), right when we moved in we tried to start garbage service through Recology and have bins sent to our house. Unfortunately Recology was hacked and their systems were down for weeks. We had nowhere to put our garbage, so the AGC team swung by several weeks in a row to literally pick up our personal garbage, just as a courtesy until we finally got bins sent to us. I could rattle off countless examples, but I just wanted to highlight the level of service they provide. I was flat out impressed at how they conducted themselves both professionally and personally.

This whole thing could have been so stressful, but the team ensured it never got to that point. I dare say it was even enjoyable. It was amazing to watch our home transform knowing it was in good hands. I have zero hesitation recommending them to anyone starting a new project. They are as good as it gets, and they will be our go to for all our future needs. So happy we were referred to AGC.

Terrible

Gerson Mateo has been a trusted partner working with me on many projects for over 8 years. I can depend on him to quote honestly, never overcharge, even when there are change orders. As a real estate professional, Gerson understand that the work needs to be done well and in a timely manner. I have worked with him extensively and he is now my go-to contractor when I need things done right and on time.

The Centoni team is best in class. We are already considering working with them again - highly, highly recommend!

Gina and her team did a wonderful job on several major projects including renovating my guest bath and creating a calm, efficient laundry room. Highly recommend!!

Gina Centoni and Centoni Restoration are terrific. They are a highly skilled outfit with extensive know how in renovating and restoring San Francisco/Bay Area Homes, and helping homeowners enjoy and maximize their re-investment into their real estate. I unequivocally give them my highest endorsement and recommendation. John D

I highly recommend Centoni Restoration & Development. We used them to add a bathroom, attic storage access, and central heat. The results were flawless and on budget! Gina and her team were professional, responsive, and communicative. We always knew what was happening and what decisions needed to be made. I especially appreciated how available and transparent Gina was throughout the process and how respectful her entire team was of our home (which we still lived in during construction). I would hire Centoni Restoration & Development for future projects.

We wanted to remodel our kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom in our Edwardian flat in San Francisco, We knew we needed design help as well as a contractor to do the work. On searching the internet we came across the site for Centoni Restoration. We were impressed by the portfolio, the glowing reviews by Gina's clients, and scheduled an interview with her. On meeting her at our flat we were further impressed by her ideas, description of her company's services, and her obvious love for the work as well as her pride in what she has accomplished. We decided to hire her and, boy, did we make the right decision. Gina does not tell your what to do but finds out what you want to do, discusses considerations you may have missed, makes suggestions on alternatives, and, in collaboration with you, formulates a design that is again open to discussion and changes. Over the years she has accumulated a store of knowledge of the best people to work with in terms of cabinets, lighting, countertops, tiles, flooring, and even plumbing fixtures. And she is with you every step of the way in making these decisions which are so important to the look of the finished product, again offering advice and suggestions. In short, she is also an accomplished interior designer. Gina was frequently on site during the construction phase and the work done by her team was top notch. During this entire process Gina was always available, promptly returning phone calls and more than happy to schedule a meeting to go over the project. She was a joy to work with. We couldn't be happier with the result and give her our highest recommendation.

Heather Peters & Richard Zimmer

We have done 3 projects with Gina Centoni and her team and have been thrilled with their work in all 3 projects (apartment remodel, whole house remodel, deck addition). Gina is professional in every aspect of her work. She communicates clearly in all modalities and expertly facilitates communication with sub-contractors, vendors, engineers, and city officials. Through her professionalism and experience, Gina was able to reduce the stress associated with remodeling to a tolerable level (and even make the process fun). She provided us with both big and small design ideas and helped us think through our options. In our first remodel her idea to flip the floor plan of the flat ended up substantially improving our quality of life and increasing our resale value. She has vast knowledge about local architecture and design history and helped us source both period appropriate fixtures and modern pieces that integrated with existing design of the house. The Centoni team is highly skilled, professional and friendly. Their craftsmanship is unparalleled. We lived in the construction for 6 months and every night when the team left, the site was tidy and safe (even for our 3 small kids). Gina has high standards for her team, subcontractors and vendors, all of whom think highly of her. If we do a 4th project, it will be with Centoni!

Gina and her team did an amazing job on my 1890's Victorian. The project required an incredible amount of craftsmanship and attention to detail to keep this Victorian looking original. I couldn't be happier with the results and Gina was a pleasure to work with. She kept me updated and in the loop the entire time and I never felt as though I was missing something or had to follow up. This was the best experience I have had with a contractor to date. I would highly recommend her.

We couldn’t be more pleased with our full flat renovation. Centoni’s professionalism throughout the entire project - from early design planning and budget scoping to all the small followup details - was outstanding. They made what would otherwise have been one of the most stressful six months of our life, actually manageable. Communication was proactive, timelines and costs were transparent and realistic, and the level of craftsmanship delivered was incredibly impressive.

I think what stood out the most was a feeling that this group genuinely wanted what was best for us - in all the back and forth that accompanies any project of this scale - it always felt like the Centoni team was our best advocate through the process. Listening, advising, balancing costs and trade offs, and pushing for a level of excellence on our behalf.

We’ve already recommended Centoni to friends considering renovations without reservations. This team is very very very good at what they do.

Gina and her team completed extensive work on my 1930s flat - remodeled kitchen and the existing bathroom, and added a master bathroom. Overall, I was very pleased not only with the quality of the work, but also with the level of professionalism. Gina made the process as pain-free as it could reasonably be through regular communication and expert advice on a wide range of construction and design matters. I was wary of the renovation process given all the nightmare stories about contractors, but I did not experience this at all. The project was done on time for the most part and the crew was always courteous. It felt like a true partnership throughout the process. Most of all, I am very happy with the end product and would highly recommend Gina and her team.

I have had the pleasure of working with Gina for about 15 years or so suppling Centoni Restoration and Development with windows and doors. Her passion and pride in the projects she does is second to none. Always going the extra mile behind the scene to not only find the right product, but looking for creative options and fit. Old world honesty, knowledge and pride in workmanship best describes Centoni. I have nothing but respect for Gina and her team.

We first worked with Gina and her team on our full-scale renovation on our San Francisco Edwardian flat. We've since partnered with her on two other projects, demonstrating the trust and value we place on Gina and her team's work.

Our first project spanned from March 2018 - October 2018 and included adding on 400+ square feet of living space by converting our unfinished basement storage area to a master suite, a full kitchen remodel, multiple bathroom remodels, building functional closets, creating a laundry room, performing vital structural work, and many other things I'm probably forgetting. Gina even proposed reversing the lay-out of the flat to move the living room to the back of the house. We were initially resistant because it was such a radical change in our minds. But, we are SO glad that we took her advice on this decision and this advice really demonstrated Gina's keen design expertise. During the design process, Gina worked closely with us to understand our vision for the project and helped develop an amazing layout that is much more functional and also looks beautiful. Our one key design principle was that we wanted to keep all of the amazing details of our Edwardian home, while upgrading it to 2018, and Gina's design and her team's execution was perfect in this regard. Everyone comments about these small details and how the house still feels classic, which brings a smile to our face every time we hear it.

Throughout the process, we genuinely loved working with Gina and her team, which I'm sure isn't something everyone says about their contractor. She's extremely communicative, always willing to hop on a call, or meet you in person to discuss your questions and concerns. To stay up to date on the project, we did weekly walkthroughs and/or emailed photo updates when scheduling didn't allow for an in-person meeting. This ensured that there were very few surprises along the way. The entire project was extremely well organized and Gina did a great job at explaining what the key dependencies and decisions were in order to keep the project moving forward.

With every large project, there are going to be unforeseen issues and even disagreements. However, I always felt comfortable bringing them to her attention, and appreciated Gina's collaborative approach to working to a resolution that we were both happy with. Again, I'm not sure everyone can say that about their contractor. It's clear to us that Gina's crew is extremely skilled at what they do, and everyone she hires takes great pride in their work and holds themselves to a very high standard. We can't thank Gina and her team enough for their amazing work!

TL;DR if you are looking for a unicorn contractor who is not only an expert at their craft, but a delight to work with, transparent, hyper communicative, comes in on budget and on time, hire Gina Centoni.

What makes her a unicorn? Over a decade of experience in product management at major tech companies prior to shifting over into restoration and development. She is the antithesis of the stereotypical contractor who you can never get a hold of and is always delayed. Gina runs a *tight* ship, and it shows.

We have worked with Centoni for two major projects at two homes (and are still working on new projects with them today!) and cannot imagine working with anyone else. Our first project was on our condo in Cole Valley, transforming one large bathroom into two, full electrical upgrade, and a kitchen update. We lived in our condo the entire time and the crew kept our home and the building exceptionally clean. Our neighbor across the hall remarked that she had never seen a crew work so hard and be so quiet and clean. After that experience, we maintained our relationship with Gina and reached out to her to help us decide if we should purchase our current home in Jordan Park. She spent hours looking at the house and investigating others we were considering to help us make our final decision.
When it came time to start work on the house, just like with our condo, Gina did everything-design, manage permits, recommend tile, fixtures, paint, trim, manage every sub, the list goes on. This is one of the major benefits of working with Centoni--they handle *literally* everything and communicate clearly and often throughout the entire project. Gina is deeply involved in every aspect of the project and is on site multiple days a week, if not multiple times a day. She makes herself available 24/7 for any questions or to discuss ideas, and does a fantastic job anticipating when there could be unknowns and clearly laying them out to avoid any surprises.
Thanks to Gina's outstanding knowledge of, and appreciation for, period details, our 110 yr old home has been restored back to its original beauty. Much of this is thanks to her team of expert carpenters who custom made built-in shelves, new trim, moldings, window and door casings, etc, all to get the house back to its former glory.
On top of all of the above, Gina also understands how to work around families and pets. We have a toddler and welcomed a new baby in the middle of their work on our current home and to say they were accommodating is an understatement. They went above and beyond to ensure our kids were not disturbed-they knew the nap schedules and everything! They were very conscious of making sure we were comfortable.

I cannot recommend Centoni highly enough. Their work is impeccable and the process of getting it done is seamless.

Our experience with Gina Centoni and her team at Centoni Restoration and Development was excellent, and we could not be happier with our completely remodeled kitchen and adjoining breakfast room. Our San Francisco house was built in 1947, and this was our first significant remodel project since buying the house in 2005. Our goal was to make the kitchen and breakfast area as beautiful as possible while maximizing space and functionality. At the same time, we wanted to ensure that the remodel complimented the home's original look, feel, and charm - no easy task given the size and shape of the original layout.

From the get-go, Gina was professional and on task - we achieved our goal, and we're absolutely thrilled with the results. We worked closely with Gina on the design concept through the completion of the project. From start to finish, Gina was a pleasure to work with. Her overall approach is thoughtful and professional, and her style is highly communicative and consultative. We especially appreciated Gina's consistent and frequent updates and responsiveness to our questions and ideas throughout the project (trust me, we had lots of questions). Gina was a dedicated partner throughout the experience ensuring that our project was a success, and more importantly, that we were 100% satisfied with every aspect of the remodel. Gina's and her crew exceeded expectations. Along with having an impeccable design sensibility, Gina brings a wealth of San Francisco building experience and technical knowledge related to historical and contemporary construction techniques and materials.

I absolutely recommend Gina and team for any remodel/construction project. Finally, I have to give extra kudos to Gina's team of tradespeople (carpentry, electrical, plumbing, paint, etc.). They're a friendly crew who obviously love what they do. Rudy and the team are incredibly skilled and detail oriented, and they were a pleasure to see and chat with every day. The crew was very clean and thorough, and they took great care to keep the project as non-disruptive as possible. Huge thanks to Gina and her team!

We recently had the pleasure of working with Gina and her team at Centoni Restoration & Development on our full kitchen and bath renovation project. When we moved into our home we knew that we wanted to update these dated rooms. After experiencing a leak from the bathroom less than 6 months later, we decided to move forward with remodeling sooner than we’d expected to. We chose to work with Centoni because we felt that Gina understood and appreciated our goal of bringing modern functionality to these rooms while still respecting the design and architectural detail of our 110-year-old home’s original style.

We had never been through major remodeling projects like this before and felt overwhelmed with all the design and materials decisions to be made, but Gina was amazing at guiding us through the process. Gina’s communication is truly exceptional, and we always felt like we were in the loop on every aspect of the project. We had lots of questions throughout the process, and Gina was always available to provide answers or suggestions and to address any concerns that arose, as well as keeping us updated on next steps. Furthermore, given her extensive design experience, Gina was able to offer several suggestions for layout improvements or design ideas that we would not have thought of ourselves.

Gina and all her crew were professional, courteous, and always willing to go above and beyond to ensure that we were happy with the results. We greatly appreciated the care that was taken to install protective material on surrounding floors and walls and to minimize the disruption as much as possible, as we continued to live and work in the house while both remodeling projects were ongoing.

From start to finish, Gina expertly oversaw and managed the design-build process. Gina and crew demonstrated impressive attention to detail and commitment to quality. Their craftsmanship was outstanding, and the finished project exceeded our expectations. Our kitchen and bathroom are now beautiful, functional spaces that perfectly complement the style of our home! We would highly recommend Gina and Team and would, without question, choose to work with her again in the future!

Gina is a remarkable contractor whom we’ve had the privilege of collaborating with for many years. Her professionalism and attention to detail consistently shine, ensuring that every project she undertakes exceeds expectations. Gina is a true advocate for her clients, balancing their needs and desires with her vast industry knowledge and thoughtful planning. Her friendly demeanor and exceptionally talented crew make her a joy to work with, and her close-knit relationships with vendors and tradespeople further elevate the quality of her work. Our partnership with Gina provides her clients with many benefits—she frequently brings them to our showroom at The Insider Studio, highlighting her extensive knowledge of our cabinetry and product features. With Gina, you’ll never find cookie-cutter solutions; every project she undertakes reflects her thoughtful attention and her commitment to creating designs that honor both her clients' visions and the architectural style of the home. It’s always a pleasure to work alongside someone as dedicated and skillful as Gina/ Centoni Restoration & Development!