03/02/22

We just finished the very same project that you are describing, and we couldn't be happier with our contractor. We interviewed at least 8 contractors and we ended up with Counterforce http://www.counterforceinc.com They don't have a heavy on-line presence, but they are booked in advance because of the work that they do (We waited for them for 6 months). We liked their work so much, that we ended up retaining them as the general contractor of the project and in charge of the subcontractors (plumber, electrician, tiler, etc.). You can contact James Ferguson at 510.283.4337.

-Cristina

09/18/24

I took over my parents' apartment house in Oakland. Quickly realized it needed to have the outside staircases replaced. Counterforce was able to get it done on budget and in the time expected. They were flexible, responsive and great communicators. Having been thrown into this world, I appreciated their partnership. Plus, it is more beautiful than it ever was. I highly recommend Counterforce.

-Sunny Sutton

11/02/22

What can I say? These are the guys that you want working on your construction project because they treat the space like it's their own home, they treat you as you are their family, and they are careful with budget/changing orders like it is coming from their pocket. The initial job included a new foundation, lifting the house to add additional space and finish the basement (now first floor), a retaining wall and French drain system. After 9 (nine) bids, we went with Counterforce. Reasons: similar pricing as other contractors; however, the difference was James. He asked questions anticipating problems that we might have during the project and it was clear that he knew what they were doing. We initially hired Counterforce for the concrete part of the work, but after seeing how James and his nice and polite crew tackled everything (his motto is "never problems, only solutions"), we retained them as the general contractor to manage the project and the trades to the finish line. They helped us with design and aesthetic decisions and their excellent workmanship shines throughout the project. We are in love with the final result and we can't recommend them highly enough.

02/09/12

We got four bids for an earthquake retrofit of an old house in kensington. The bids were comparable and we chose Counterforce. It was a great choice. They were on time, on budget, nice, straight forward and clean. Not only were they skilled in the standard retrofit work, but also they did a beautiful job on the part of our project that involved sensitive aesthetic decisions. Great company.

10/01/11

We needed to get a seismic retrofit on our foundation. Counterforce was one of three companies recommended to us. We got estimates from all of them, talked to all of them, and there was little variance between them -- all were clearly experts in their field, and the quotes were all around the same. So we ended up choosing Counterforce based on ... well, they seemed the nicest of the three, and our realtor had endorsed them. It was a good choice. The crew was professional, they arrived on time, cleaned up after themselves each day (it was a 10-day project), and did excellent work