-
January 2023 by Stacy Olson
The tl;dr: scope of work was completed within a reasonable time frame for a fair price, although some hand-wringing/holding required.
-
July 2022 by Ineke B.
We recently completed a remodel/update of our 1950's home. We hired Baron in Jan 2021 to do our job with the idea that the project would be completed around July 2021. I am happy to report that as of Sept 2022, I can say our job is truly "officially" done and we are happy with the final outcome. While there were numerous delays, those delays were due in part to supply chain delays, city compliance/permit issues, and a few changes we decided to make. Our project manager was Leeran, and I can say that he is very good at project management. Also, my husband stayed very actively involved with Leeran in the entire remodel process, which I believe, ultimately contributed to the success of our project. While we didn't anticipate having to be so actively involved, I quickly figured out it was necessary. When things were installed incorrectly, or the job site was left messy and we contacted Leeran about it, he was always responsive to us and got things worked out. He also took the time to have regular meetings with us to make decisions so that we could maintain the timeline as best as possible and pivot construction tasks when there was a delay with one aspect of the project so that items could keep getting finished. This allowed for us to keep with the timeline as much as possible. He is definitely an asset to the company. I feel he also has a good management style with clients; he was not always able to say "yes" to the requests we had, but he really worked hard to balance out his "no" responses with alternative perks to help prevent you from feeling screwed over. So overall, I believe the project management (Leeran) and his willingness to work closely with my husband was valuable. My final thoughts are . . . did the project go entirely as I expected when I signed my contract with Baron . . .no. There were many bumps in the road, but I can also attribute that to my lack of understanding of all that goes into a whole-house remodel process. I learned that takes a lot of patience, and extreme amount of effort, and a whole lot of money. And overall, Leeran is a big part of why I was able to make it thru this process. I hope Baron's owner knows how valuable he is to the success of the company. Also props to the subs like Carlos and Abraham, Salvador, and Sal for their expertise in their trade. Additionally, I think it is important to note that, the licensed contractor (owner Mike) is typically not involved in the day to day on site activities. We did talk to him once during our process when we hit a pretty big snag in the project. He offered advice via a FaceTime call. That was a bit of a surprise to us and I feel it is important for me to mention my review as I was unaware when signing the contract and I would want future clients to be aware. And one last items I learned was that they hire out subcontractors to complete their work (overseen by the project managers, and typically regular subs that they know/trust). But I remember thinking that when our PM said they have their own "crew", I assumed it was Baron staff, but learned it was actually subcontractors. Again just something I want readers to be aware of from my experience.
-
May 2022 by Lara T.
Finding a contractor that does quality work and is reliable is rare. My husband and I decided to remodel 90% of my childhood home and after meeting with six contractors, it was clear from the beginning that we wanted to work with Leeran. He was always prompt to our meetings/calls, explained things in an easily digestible manner, and was honest. This project was insanely important to my family as we had a lot of memories in the old home and the Baron crew created a new, modern home for us to make new memories in with our toddler. Leeran was one of the big reasons why our project got done on time (especially impressive during COVID) as he was extremely responsive. Anytime we had a question or needed his advice during the project, he was there to help answer questions, explain the timeline, help facilitate and project manage timelines with the crew/vendors, etc. We also worked with Noya, one of their interior designers, and she was so sweet and helpful in designing our home. She attended multiple meetings with us to understand our design aesthetic, shop with us for finishes (kitchen, tile, countertop), etc. I have been recommending Baron the entire time we've been working with them. Their work is top notch and having a PM dedicated to your project is a game changer. My husband and I are working parents with a toddler, so it was less stressful and not as overwhelming having Leeran help steer the project for us.
-
May 2022 by Ken Brown
We had Barron do a complicated addition and remodel that added a bathroom and expanded the footprint of the house. Not the cheapest, but very professional, flexible, and commmunicative throughout the project. Friends of ours with similar or even smaller projects complain about their contractors taking much longer than promised and being ghosted for days by their project managers — not the case with Barron.The project was done on time and within the quoted budget, despite several unexpected complications along the way (our house is very old, which complicated things).We did run into a few problems along the way, but our project manager Leeran was very responsive and got things fixed or re-done quickly. I can't say enough how pleasantly surprised we were.The addition is beautiful and the house is much more functional and enjoyable than before.
-
May 2022 by Ken B.
We had Barron do a complicated addition and remodel that added a bathroom and expanded the footprint of the house. Not the cheapest, but very professional, flexible, and communicative throughout the project. Friends of ours with similar or even smaller projects complain about their contractors taking much longer than promised and being ghosted for days by their project managers. That was not the case with Barron. The project was done on time and within the quoted budget, despite several unexpected complications along the way, including the age of the house and the fact that the crew had to work around us so that we could stay in the house for most of the project. We did run into a few problems along the way, but our project manager Leeran was very responsive and got things fixed or re-done quickly. I can't say enough how pleasantly surprised we were. The addition is beautiful and the house is much more functional and enjoyable than before.
-
April 2022 by Grace L.
I'm very unhappy with my experience with Baron. We worked on a 1000 sq ft remodel that took over a year when it was originally quoted for 3-6 months. Months after, I'm still trying to clean up the mess they left me with and the damages they made to my house. It was a headache and complete stress working with them. They are the nightmare remodel that I hear others talk about. Our project managers did not remembered anything that was discussed and there was little to no follow through. They would say they were going to do something, or that this is how it would look, but then when it's done it's completely different and not what was discussed. Every meeting with the project managers ended up being pointless. I had to escalate many issues to the main office, and the owner, Mike, in order to get some type of acknowledgement, explanation or answer. By the end of a year working with them, I really only expected the bare minimum and they still could not deliver that. HVAC was installed incorrectly, but we had to have an argument over whether it was installed according to manual or not. This is not something a customer should have to call out and have to argue about. An exterior hole in my wall was not properly repaired and we spent a few weeks arguing over the proper repair solution to the point where the city inspector had to make visits to ensure it was properly repaired. They caused many delays like this throughout the project. They did not provide any design help. They provided little to no suggestions on how to implement anything - railing, paver designs, etc. They just waited for me to do my own research, pick and provide everything and at some points I had to talk to the crew myself and check-in with them on the execution. I was basically the project manager at that point. When, during the sales process, they said they would be able to do all of these things for me. I would not trust them with their architects either. We had plans drawn up, measurements were off, which lead to subsequent issues with cabinets that were ordered. They also told us the wrong measurement for a window (not returnable). And in discussions, the project managers point fingers and blame others. At one point the onsite crew called to ask us how to install our cabinets. It was definitely my nightmare experience. Every time they came to the house, some new damage or issue was made (e.g. install a light and then make a hole in the wall from the ladder). They used our front patio and lawn as a garbage bin - my trees and plants even have dried cement covering their base because they just dumped the cement out on the dirt. For months I've been finding nails all over our front and backyards and other debris. This is not safe for children. Our patio furniture was used as step stools, ladders and work benches. Leftover paint was just left outside. Barely any cleanup was done inside and outside the house, nor did they properly protect the flooring, countertops, etc inside. Even my stove top counter top was cut on site and the fine powder is now all over the interior of the cabinets and railings causing friction with drawers closing. Of course all of the work depends on the project manager assigned and the construction crew assigned. Unfortunately, you don't get to pick who works with you and they do not implement a standard or quality bar for who is hired. There's no point to pay a premium for construction if you don't get premium service or quality. I would not trust them for any work. And I would not trust them to be knowledgeable about or be able to handle premium materials. The project managers I had were good at one thing though, collecting checks. They were always extremely prompt, gave reminders and had great follow through when it came to collecting payment. Lastly, because the work is subcontracted, the markup on items in change orders is enormous. For example installing an outlet which might be normally $100 by an electrician became $700. Adding new subfloor which others paid $6k (at the same time period and
-
December 2021 by Mili K.
Overall we had a great experience with Baron construction - especially Leeran and Raul. Leeran came out dec 2020 to discuss our project - which was an addition (bedroom + full bath) to our existing house, master bath tile and vanities and an outside bbq kitchen. They drew up plans pretty quickly and got everything ready for the city by end of Jan 2020 but permit appointment and approvals took until June 2020 (but they were connecting with the city of San Jose frequently to check status). As soon as approvals came through (end of June), they started right away. The speed with which the rough construction came up was really good. There were guys on site everyday - many saturdays as well and even a few sundays!. There were some slowdowns wrt to hvac and electrical but resolution was fairly quick overall. I would have liked a bit more help with the design of the bathrooms etc. from baron but we had to move quickly so we went to bedrosians and all natural stone where the ladies there helped us a lot. We had to make sure we had all finishing material on hand so that the crew could move ahead and install. Keeping all that at home was a bit of a pain but it was for 1-2 months max so we didn't mind so much. We had some issues with pavers outside with the slope but that was fixed as well. Even the level of hardwood from the main house to the addition was perfect - the new addition really looks like a part and parcel of the main house and flows well. They made sure the new room was all set for my parents/mother-in law to move in. In general, every time I texted and complained about an issue (however small or big) and I called/texted many many times, responses were very prompt from Leeran and his team to get the job done. The attitude was "lets fix it" and it was fixed right away with very little delay. I have several guests over since the completion (95% was done beginning of oct and the outdoor kitchen was done dec 1st week), they all love the addition! Overall i think a reliable company to do construction business with.
-
September 2021 by Ajeenkya B.
I had a great experience working with Leeran and the Baron constructions. Our project was based in Sunnyvale while we were living in San Francisco with a less than two year old toddler, in the middle of the pandemic. We were redoing 2/3rd of our home which entailed large structural changes. We knew this wasn't going to be easy and we wanted to go with the best in the area. For day 1, Leeran and the firm were punctual, outright honest and very collaborative making them one of the most dependable contractors I've ever worked with. In the early days, I remember brainstorming layouts with Leeran late into the night over zoom. He was always very accommodating, open to creative ideas and sharing this experience to keep the project feasible. When it came to quotes, while Baron was a bit on the higher side, I knew I was going to get what I'm paying for. So we decided to go with them. The project had a very tight deadline as our lease in SF was ending in March and we were starting this project in early October. Leeran stayed on top of it throughout. Even when there were hiccups like when we found out our ducts needed to be replaced and one of our structural beam was infected with termites, Leeran added more workforce instead of pushing out the finish date. Leeran has a fabulous team of people he works with. From the architect to the designer, everyone was such a pleasure to work with. From finalizing permits to ordering finished materials, everything was so systematic and well planned that I'm afraid I'm spoiled for life. The final product of their work was above and beyond my expectations. When I shared the photos with my friends and family, I had to convince them that they are not photoshopped. (Checkout out the Kitchen & Bathrooms Design & Remodel project from Sunnyvale) I highly recommend Leeran and Baron Constructions. If I had to do it all over again, I'd go with Barons again.
-
September 2021 by Dan D.
I'm updating my review from 1-star to 3-star, since Baron reached out to me to apologize for ghosting on us. Hopefully they use this experience to improve their customer service going forward. Original review: We brought Baron out to give us a quote on a room addition. They sent a project manager named Sean Mor. He walked through the project, took notes, and said he'd have a quote for us in a few days. After that, Sean disappeared. He never sent us a quote or responded to any of our messages.
-
September 2021 by Tom K.
One of the easiest and best experiences I've ever had when it comes to remodeling. I got over 6 quotes for adding a third bedroom to our home. Leeran came and not only beat all 6 quotes but also showed me each individual step in the process and how it would be done. We asked so many questions, and each one was answered fully and patiently. Could not recommend them any more, really.
-
August 2021 by Kevin L.
Hired Baron for 600 sq foot second story addition and remodel. The house looks great, the subcontractors did an acceptable job for the most part. So many reasons for 1 star however, cannot recommend you seek Baron unless you are forced. - Project was delayed due to COVID, but took 6 months longer than planned, and 4 months longer than promised. We ended up spending an extra 20k in rent during the pandemic - Project management was a circus, one PM quit (citing not being paid), and after a delay and turmoil (2 more PM's were assigned, given the walk through, and then quit or were reassigned?), we were finally told our PM would be Elvia (administrator), who never came to site - On multiple occasions the price listed for change orders was 200% that which sub-contractor was charging, and well over market ($75 / sq. ft for basic hand poured mixed concrete sidewalk). And had to be negotiated down. - Contractor initially promised that our top line price included restoring elements that were demolished as a part of remodel (sidewalk which needed demo to pour foundation, or hallway cabinet that was demolished as a part of work) however, after original PM quit, these elements were added as change orders (for prices that were way above market). - Sub-Contractor made major mistakes, shower plumbing was installed backwards in 2 bathrooms (hot and cold reversed), Drain was put in wrong place in a bathroom wall and forced us to pay for a redesign after failed inspection, major elements were held in by caulking alone (no nails!) which decayed within weeks and fell apart - Warranty of work requires constant email, phone calls. We have not had functioning A/C since February (after we moved in and realized it wasn't working), and have had to call every week for updates. So far, the sub contractor has only been out once, got it working for a few hours, and it failed almost immediately after he was gone. At this point, they aren't returning phone calls or email. - Site was a horrible mess during most of the construction, and we had to push to get any site cleanup done. Afterwards, non "contracted" areas were destroyed, left rusty nails and equipment throughout yard, very little pride in the work. Some of the subcontractors cleaned up, and felt bad about others not doing the same, however none of them wanted to take responsibility for those who made the larger mess. I wish I could tell you where to go instead, as there are few reasonably priced quality general contractors in the Bay Area as it is... and Baron is one of the largest. But I know of none that will even do the job. Baron is 3 degrees of separation from actually doing the work. Mike is actually a sub on a larger license, who subs out to unlicensed general contractors who in turn sub out to other contractors, many of which I spoke with from our project have ceased doing business with Baron due to not being paid, or getting the run around. I was told that Mike had personal issues which left him unreachable for most of our construction, and was used as an excuse for lack of professional management on our project, but there needs to be backups.
-
May 2021 by Anne H.
We trusted Baron once before with a garage remodel, and were thrilled with the results, so this time we decided to do a bigger project: master bedroom/bath remodel. Eli Ben was our consultant on this project, also. The main thing I wanted to do was completely gut and redo the bathroom. The house came with a fairly typical "fiberglass pan with wall tile" shower that I never particularly liked. The pictures tell the whole story about what I ended up with, and I absolutely love it. I wanted to make the shower wider, but the toilet could not be moved, so Eli helped us figure out the measurements to take the most advantage of the limited space. A sliding pocket door to replace the swing door would maximize the useful area. The wall structure made it necessary to actually shift the doorway over about 8". All of this involves gutting the bathroom down to the house frame. This bathroom is on the second floor, and as this old house is continuously shifting, it's vital that the shower not leak. The bottom of the shower was hot mopped (hot tar) instead of using the more conventional PVC pan. Over time, a pan can flex and crack. Hot mopped floors will not leak, even if the house frame shifts beneath it. Baron brought in a master tiler, EJ, to tile the shower, and his work is satisfyingly precise and symmetrical. Everything is fitted perfectly, and custom cut/shaped as needed. The plumber, Derrick, is equally talented, and paid a lot of attention to little details to make the setup work best. The tile design in the shower makes it crucial that the shower fixture is perfectly centered in the design, and that was accomplished with the cooperation and expertise of everyone involved. The sink was custom fabricated out of a big slab of engineered quartz. It looks like white marble, but is much less expensive, more durable, and lower maintenance than real marble. Eli and I worked with the fabricator to design a square sink, and the fabricator (also a gifted artist) put the pieces together in a way that makes the gray veins in the quartz line up in an aesthetically pleasing manner. As for the bedroom itself, we had the popcorn ceiling removed. That required asbestos abatement, which Baron handled with complete competence (they are licensed in asbestos abatement). We wanted a "rigid core vinyl" floor (the new hotness in laminate flooring) to replace the carpet. It was discovered that the floor was not flat, and you can't install a laminate floor on an irregular surface. The entire floor had to be torn up and sistered to make it level. This was done, although I was warned that the house would likely continue to shift and settle over time. There's no way to prevent this. Ah well, can't be helped. But we love the new laminate floor. It looks just like real wood, but is fully waterproof and highly scratch resistant. I could go on a lot longer about the details of this job. But suffice to say that we are 100% satisfied with the work and will be returning to Baron in the future for any other remodeling projects we have.
-
May 2021 by Boaz J.
I had a terrible experience with Baron Construction and falsified representations regarding a water leak in a bathroom remodel which should be covered under warranty. A tile subcontractor used by Baron said there was no leak in a letter from Baron Construction. They used the same tile person who said there was no leak again post demo of the shower... We know there is a leak because of video evidence we did checking their work... When things go wrong and how's its handled says a lot about a company... I would not recommend Baron Construction.
-
May 2021 by Max Stepanov
If you are thinking of hiring Baron Construction (Mike, Or, David) to do any major work - think twice! The company is a complete disaster and incompetence. They don't understand architectural or structural plans or even care about doing so. Their approach is to sign you up for a high-premium contact, and then hire low-cost subcontractors and provide zero supervision to any work. After the project starts, they will drag it as much as they can, making 9 months project last for 2 years! In the meantime, they will try to charge you 50x for simple plywood here and there. Don't bother. Take your money somewhere else where you will get quality, communication, and responsibility. We hired Baron Construction to build our dream home, and with the project only still half-way completed, it turned to be a nightmare shortly after they started on the project. Worst experience in our life. Baron Construction's incompetence and disorganization has its toll. Stay away.
-
April 2021 by Max S.
If you are thinking of hiring Baron Construction (Mike, Or, David) to do any major work - think twice! The company is a complete disaster and incompetence. They don't understand architectural or structural plans or even care about doing so. Their approach is to sign you up for a high-premium contact, and then hire low-cost subcontractors and provide zero supervision to any work. After the project starts, they will drag it as much as they can, making 9 months project last for 2 years! In the meantime, they will try to charge you 50x for simple plywood here and there. Don't bother. Take your money somewhere else where you will get quality, communication, and responsibility.
