Cal Preserving

Very displeased with overall project. Be careful. Appointment was set for 9:30, no call then crew showed up at 2:30. Power washing of deck unsatisfactory, leaked water and debris under bathroom door. Debris from power washing sprayed on house walls, fence, and down walkway. Were told that we should bring to attention of workers. This is not our job. Next day instead of returning at 2:00 we called and they appeared at 4:00. Then they had to clean up yesterday’s mess and we asked crew to clean up and return next day for application of preservative. Had immediate call from Bruce stating that they too busy and could not come back for a month. We relented and clean up was not done properly and extra attention of preservative between boards was not satisfactory. We planned to pay by credit card and were told that this would entail an additional charge of $ 40 to cover their costs. This was not disclosed prior to the job commencing. All in all, this was not a satisfactory performance with no follow up by the owners in person.
Subsequent to the above review we were contacted by the management and they acknowledged our complaints. We respect their decision not to accept payment for their work and now feel that we have been treated in a professional manner.

We’ve worked with Bruce and Cal Preserving for the second time now, and both experiences have been excellent!
Workers showed up on time and proceeded to power wash and preserve our redwood fences in a little less than 2 days. They were focused on detail, meticulous with the application of preservative — no over spray, and the fences came out looking great!
I would highly recommend Cal Preserving when seeking to revitalize your outdoor fencing or decks.

I dealt with Bruce Watkins at Cal Preserving and his team did a great job refinishing my backyard deck. Bruce visited my home before we had agreed that I would hire him to look at the state of my deck in order to evaluate whether I would need to sand it as part of the process. He confirmed that the deck was in such good shape that we could forego that step this year, saving me a nice chunk of change. Then a week later we firmed up the date and he arrived the day he said he would, and it was finished the next day. We are very happy and the price was great.

This year Bruce instead of a fixed price they suggested I pay hourly. I was a bit leary about this but it turned out to be cheaper. I got the same great work but saved a little cash. These guys continue to great work and my deck looks amazing and perfect for summer entertaining.

Pretty sure this is our fourth year using Cal Preserving to restore and maintain our 20-​year old deck. The first time, it needed the whole nine yards to bring it back. Since then, power wash and reseal were all that were needed. This year, the guys felt that the deck needed sanding, but Bruce couldn’t get hold of us to get our authorization. Not wanting to seal it until it was perfect, Bruce made the call to sand it. We’re so glad he did. It’s gorgeous! He assured us we were not obligated to pay for the sanding, but gave us a very low/​fair estimate of what it cost him, and we were more than happy to pay for the additional work.
Because of the extra work involved, what was first thought to require two days actually took four. On day four, we were home and watched three guys meticulously work to seal the deck and a teak table. All the workers were so polite and meticulous, and the deck and table are beautiful! Cal Preserving deserves 10 stars!

All we could have asked for and more. Bruce was easy to contact, and very responsive when contacted. He provided an estimate for refinishing our teak patio furniture (and stuck to it). He and his crew were pleasant, communicative, and easy to deal with.
When they were finished, there was no sign they had ever been there — except for the refinished furniture, of course. And the result — the result was gorgeous. Our teak furniture, now over 15 years old, looks brand new. I’ll be using Cal Preserving from now on — truly an impressive find.

Bruce was incredibly helpful and quick to respond to my questions/​concerns. I had him work on a deck restoration for a client and the experience couldn’t have been easier. I would definitely recommend to others!

My deck is now absolutely gorgeous! Thanks to Bruce for not only doing everything that needed to be done. But for keeping job site clean throughout the whole time. Also value all his input and advice. Cal Preserving will definitely be maintaining our 1100 sq. foot deck for its lifetime!

I was searching for a deck preservation service for a brand new deck I was installing. I’m not sure whether most people search out wood repair services at the start of a deck’s life, but I wanted to keep my deck on the best path possible from the start so I gave it a shot.
I searched Unilocal and saw the great reviews so called Cal Preserving. I called Bruce (the owner) to ask for advice on how to best build the deck for long-​term preservation. He was a wealth of information and advised me on everything from the best stain for ongoing beauty and preservation, to the best wood to use, to the best screws (stainless steel), and even how far to screw them in for easy future sanding. I followed his instructions to a tee during the building stage. And I asked my deck builder to remove «staining» from their bid so I could use Cal Preserving.
Then his crew came out to finish out the deck. WOW. They had to eliminate unsightly dark black grease marks on the wood that came from the lumber yard, and lots of sap that was seeping up. I was really worried about it, but they are like magicians. The wood looks PERFECT, and I mean PERFECT. And then they used a clear coat. The deck is absolutely beautiful.
Their customer service and knowledge was insightful, knowledgeable, timely and clear.
The crew that executed was top, top notch. They were respectful and careful about our property. I had a brand new stone patio that the deck sits on… which they did not get a drop of stain onto. I’m pretty meticulous so they had to be extra careful and they were.
They are truly specialty craftsmen… which seems like a bit of a lost art these days.
I just wish Cal Preserving could also roof my house, fix my car and handle my internet connection. I could use a company with their fabulous service and outcome elsewhere in my life!
I give them a 10 on a scale of 1 – 5 for going above and beyond. I am one very, very satisfied customer — and a new Cal Preserving evangelist to my neighbors!

Bruce has an excellent crew. They really know their business. I have 2 red wood decks in San Francisco. They refinished all of the decks, fences and doors and they look like new. I mean brand new. Plus customer satisfaction is a real goal and even though it was not part of the refinishing of my deck he sent a guy to replace a rotten piece of the deck (he charged me for it) 3 days after he finished the job. Now i have a perfectly beautiful deck that look like new.
They are not the cheapest but fairly priced. Work that out with bruce in detail. He can work within your budget. I was not looking for a discount deck re finisher. I wanted quality and that is what i got.
I recommend them highly.

Our deck is over 20 years old and was looking really bad. So I researched a bunch of companies and we thought we were going to have to replace the entire deck but Cal Preserving thought they could restore it and they did a wonderful job. On time, on budget, wonderful group of people to do the work. Everything you could want from a company. The deck looks brand new. Bruce Watkins is very nice to work with, even answers email on the weekend!

wow! my deck is a 25 y o redwood deck facing the ocean in pacifica. it had deteriorated over the years and i wondered if it could be saved. bruce and cal-​pres did some magic and now it looks better than when i moved in 22 years ago. the wood is radiant, the few boards that needed replacing are not obvious and blend in well. the crew was so hard working, every minute they were here from power washing to sanding, bleaching and sealing. i had no idea it would turn out so well. and bruce was great to work with, so honest and knowledgeable. would use this business again in a heartbeat and will again next year for an update! give him 6 stars!

The reviews are true! As a first time homeowner with a shortage of time and a deck in need of some tlc I needed not only a professional service but some solid advice on the care and treatment of my deck. Bruce was extremely friendly, and easy to work with. As others have mentioned, he responds to email very quickly and stays involved through the whole process. Not only was their work top notch, but Bruce was also very forthcoming and honest about what really needed to be done to care for the deck which was extremely helpful in getting the right work done within my tight budget. Would highly recommend them to anyone looking for a professional and honest service provider. I fully plan on being a repeat customer and look forward to their future work on my deck! Thanks guys!

I had 4 people quote the staining of my new fence. I am very familiar with contractors and I could tell right away that Bruce (the owner) not only knew what he was talking about, but was very easy to talk to and communicate with. I went back and forth for over a week deciding on who to go with because Cal was not the cheapest quote. However when it comes down to it, you get what you pay for, and it true comparison, he was not that much more. They washed and bleached the fence to make it perfect for application, then three guys came in and hand applied the stain. They were quick and efficient, yet their work was really good. I had a couple concerns about wood filler that was used on one of my gates by the installer, and some sap residue, and even though these were not his problem, he addressed my concerns in a way that made me feel comfortable. He even offered to give me a can of touch up if I decided to do anything about the sap or putty. He delivered the can of touch up to my house, which was great.
I recommend Bruce and Cal Preserving highly. The work speaks for itself, it looks really good and when he tells you to not use the dark stain that you think you want, you should listen to him.

The did a great job on our deck. They sanded it down as the prior person had stained it badly and it needed it. They did an excellent job staining and finished on time as agreed. Their bid for the work was competitive as well.
There was a misunderstanding about one area as to whether it was included and we came to an acceptable resolution on that. One small area was missed and they came back and touched it up.

We used them for the first time to refinish our deck and touch up exterior paint.
Our deck and fence had weathered to gray, almost black in some areas, and were covered in a thick layer of dust.
We looked at other deck refinishing services too, but we were really impressed with all the great reviews Cal Preserving got on Unilocal (and also on another home services List that we subscribe to). That many 5 star reviews from Unilocalsters can’t be wrong.
And the results were outstanding! You know those before and after pictures you see on the Unilocal photos and on their website? They look almost photoshopped. But no, those are the real results. I can assure you, in our case, the difference really was like that. Our «old» deck and fence were a drab dusty grey… after refinishing they have that rich reddish brown look.
Their price is right too. Some of the other services came out and quoted us twice as much, for just the deck alone! It’s true, they wanted to give our deck a full spa treatment: soak it, hand scrub it, then rub it with teak oil! But cmon, really? Its just a deck. As long as the chemicals used aren’t too harsh (Cal Preserving’s aren’t), and they take good care of the wood (they did), and the results look good, then the deck can do without the massage and incense treatment!
Finally, Bruce and his team were absolute professionals from beginning to end. Bruce came out personally to give the estimate, and stayed involved with the progress every step of the way. He responds almost instantly to emails. And he cares about the results of the job and that you the owner are happy with the work. I wish all the contractors we use as homeowners were so professional and easy to work with.

We have six decks at our home; all were in dire need of sanding, cleaning, staining, and general repairs. Cal Preserving came and our decks are like new. They beat other Unilocal top-​ranked deck preservation company’s estimates, were VERY professional, efficient, and easy to work with. They will be our deck maintenance company from now on. I don’t think you will be disppointed!

Just used Cal Preserving for the first time. My wife heard their add on the radio and suggested we reach out to them for an estimate. We have a home in the wine country which has a large deck area of approx. 1700 sq. ft. We’ve tried various products over the years with disastrous results. Our last application was a water base product that was applied by a so called «deck expert». After one year it began pealing off in strips and looked terrible. We decided the deck needed to be stripped/​sanded or whatever it would take. We had other so called «deck experts» offer suggestions but few if any wanted to sand the surface if necessary. All had excuses. Due to the logistical Distance and travel time, Bruce asked that I send him pictures of the deck as well as measurements. After a lengthy phone discussion we agreed on a T&M job with a not to exceed price. Last weekend he and his partner drove up to our home and proceeded to power wash and strip the deck. Work proceeded both Saturday & Sunday.
This Past Wednesday a crew of 5 showed up with large deck sanders, grinders, palm sanders and other various tools to complete the job and applied a great looking preservative. The project ended today, so a total of 5 work days. The crew was professional, neat, clean and washed down all surfaces once sanding was complete. Their work far exceeded my level of expectation. As a side note they actually did more work than we had discussed and agreed to.
Price was right on target. An Amazing awesome job! Guess I can say I learned my lesson to do business with a vendor that specializes in one product or service day in and day out, not a so called «wanna be». I would strongly recommend Cal preserving for any deck or wood siding restoration.
Charlie from RWC

Bruce’s crew did a great job preserving our outdoor wood patio furniture. The turn around is really quick! When I mentioned that his crew weren’t attentive to the clean-​up work after they preserved my outdoor patio, he addressed my concerns right away and made sure I was happy with everything. I would definitely refer him to my friends and neighbors. Easy to work with and excellent workmanship.

Have worked with Cal-​Preserving twice, both times all went perfect (not smooth, perfect).
Crews know what needs to be done & make it happen. Jobsite left clean each day. Most recent job was a larger deck well over 1000sf with years of neglect.
Bruce explained what needed to be done & how it would be done (I am gald I did not do it as I would have really messed it up & no doubt had to call him & have him clean up my mistakes) with his 25+ years of experience he saves time, energy & money as you do not waste time doing not needed other items.
Amazing when I was looking for references for this job, other interior floor guys recommeneded Cal-​Preserving.
If you are looking to have your deck done right the first time, call them first!
I recommend Cal-​Preserving 100%