Best Value Home Improvements

These guys were great. Got the work done fast on our siding with no inconvenience to us, and did a beautiful job. The paint matches the rest of the house perfectly. The crew was always on time and very nice. I will hire them again to do other work on our house.

Really appreciate the great job BVHI did for us. We bought a fixer-​upper, and needed a new roof, gutters, shutters, insulation and exterior paint job. Manny was great. Set and more than met our expectations — job was started on time, came in on budget, and he and team also included a few minor additional repairs without charging us more. I figured I’d wait to write this review to see how the work held up during the recent rain storms. No leaks and the house looks great too!

I’m going to give Best Value credit because they did complete the job and overall it looks pretty thorough. However the path to get there was fraught with communication problems and unclear expectations. The TL;DR is that if money is your main factor, and you have a great understanding of what you want and how they need to do it, it’s probably ok. Otherwise, be aware that you may find resolving issues frustrating.
One thing you should know is that if you tell them you found them on the web, they will offer you 10% off but give you almost no time to decide, so make sure you have other estimates completed ahead of time. They were definitely much cheaper and even though I knew I was getting a slick sales pitch, I thought the job wasn’t very complicated, so I decided to go with Best Value.
Frank, the owner, would probably tell you, as he told me, that I was difficult to please, and I wound up costing him extra travel time. He would maybe even say I insulted his English when I mentioned our communication issues (his English is fine and I was not referring to language). But I made it clear up front what I wanted — to have my cedar shingles protected against weather and to keep them looking like cedar — and that I was looking to him for expertise in the job, but I kept being asked to make decisions I didn’t know how to make. He had no photos to share — either of other preserved shingles or painted shingles, which I wish I would have asked for up front.
In terms of communication issues:
* No communication of timeline. Took my deposit but didn’t tell me when the job would start or finish.
* We agreed ahead of time to seal the wood and keep the appearance of the shingles. The contractor asked me for days to choose a paint color instead. He painted samples but didn’t wipe them (like you do with stains), so they looked terrible. One of the samples was even an indoor stain, which he told me about after he painted it on my house.
* It took days of phone calls, and then Frank had to visit in person to finally tell them to use a clear stain. He admonished his contractor in front of me (awkward).
* I wanted a bench and trellis washed and stained, but the contractor didn’t know about it and had to come back the next day and wash it. They tore up a corner of my yard doing this.
* I asked that some windows that had been painted shut years ago be opened. They forgot (or didn’t know about it?) and had to come back.
* They put up a redwood board to cover some broken shingles, and it really stood out. My exact words: «Is there any way to get that to blend in with the house?» His contractor painted it a strange olive color. At some point Frank accused me of picking out the color (I didn’t). AFTER it had been painted he told me it would have darkened over time and he thought the redwood was the best option. When asked why he didn’t tell me that up front he said he «was just trying to please» me. He said if they replaced the board I would have to pay for it! He told the contractor to wipe the stain, and it looked slightly better, but then he made an insane accusation of me not sending him an accurate photo (he used my photo to determine the stain needed to be wiped, so this made NO sense).
I was really insulted by the last conversation and chose to just pay the balance and be done with it. I was only «difficult» when I kept being asked to make decisions that I didn’t want to make — I just wanted things to look largely the same, understanding that it wouldn’t be exact. To be told that *I* chose a stain color that I didn’t choose, and then to be told that I made a bad decision despite not knowing about how redwood ages, was ludicrous. Everything could have been solved with a thoughtful conversation and a recommendation based on their expertise, but instead the job ended with rude accusations. Glad it’s over.

We had this company paint our big Victorian. Frank was very easy to work with from start to finish. His foreman Orjol was great to work with-​he was very accommodating, professional, and polite. Frank also gave us a good price: would use them again!

I can highly recommend the professionalism of this company!

Once again Manny from Best Value has come through for my husband and I!
We used Best Value back in January to remodel our bathroom and were very satisfied
with the results. When we decided it was finally time to replace our roof, paint the house and fix our sidewalk we called Manny. The work was done on time and on budget. The crews that were used were always on time and cleaned up every day. The house looks great!

Frank and Best Value were recommended to us by a neighbor who had them paint their craftsman home in Alameda. We had previously received a few estimates for a roof replacement and decided to put Best Value in the mix. We were impressed with Frank, who assessed our needs and provided a good bid for an entire roof replacement, including some things that other contractors said «couldn’t be done.» They were flexible with our schedule and our crew was courteous and professional; the work was done within the stated time, and a small punch list/​cleanup snafu was quickly fixed. With a very old and much covered roof, we were advised in advance there may be damage found after tear-​off which would need fixing, and that would be estimated separately for our approval. There was considerable replacement and repair, and the cost was a lot less than we feared.
We would recommend Frank and Best Value. They will definitely be on our list for future projects. Bring on the rain!

Best Value Home Improvement will show up as a top search, but don’t trust the manipulated rankings (I derived to this conclusion because a reviewer, ahem: @nobby L, mentions that he agrees that Manny is a salesman but there seems to be no evidence of other reviews mentioning this).
I’ll break it down to you:
— During Estimate: As others have mentioned on here, you will be charmed and sold on how these guys care and provide nothing less of quality work. While Manny did try to be convincing of this, i knew he was full of it during our appt for an estimate. Reason 1, he was not engaged. While the other contractors we spoke to (got a decent bid from and are actually reputable) measured and did their due diligence in assessing the job, Manny was more interested in shooting the shit [insert my so not impress face]. As soon as i started discussing the details of what needed to be done, his mind floating away to la la land (his wondering eyes told me everything…)
— End of Estimate: I ask for a ballpark, he says «it’s going to be at the high 69K». I politely say WTF, another words, this is the highest bid we’ve gotten so far… He says «we can knock off 10%», so we’ll try to make it work in the low 60’s”. I say, okaay… now we are getting closer (not too close) to some of the #s we’ve been given (mid 50’s by 3 other contractors, no they don’t work out of garages, as Manny might have suggested!!!). We part ways, I tell him, I’ll send him comprehensive list of all the things to make sure that nothing gets missed and that i would like an itemize quote. He says, no problem, will get back to me
— After estimate: I send him an extremely detailed list of things, he sends back a breakdown per space (2 bathrooms, kitchen, deck etc) in the body email (I was starting to believe he worked out of a garage ;)). Not what i expected when i said «itemize quote», but whatever. So how much was the quote you ask? 73K. Yup, 10K over «we can knock off 10%». I inquire why it was so much higher than the initial quote, he says, I thought we were remodeling 1 bathroom… I have two and walked him through both… (There was no mentioned why it was so much higher in the first reply, btw)
— Way after the estimate (2 weeks later): Admin calls to follow up, Richard Childs, I dish, he says he completely understand why i’m not satisfy and that he will speak to Manny and the owner, Frank to do things right
4 days and counting and no word… YUP.

My life these days consists of just a few simple ingredients:
1. Work — this is the worst ingredient; currently WAAAYYY too much in the mix
2. SuperHubs — can never get enough of this
3. Dog — can never get enough of this, either; WAAAYYY better than kids!
4. Home improvement — ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ enjoyable and totally suck-​ass, but good for «building equity», I’m told
5. Travel (with lots of beer) — important to balance the bitterness of #4 when it totally sucks ass
And I just had a big old helping of #4. BUT IT DID NOT SUCK!
OPERATION: NEW DOWNSTAIRS just wrapped here at the old homestead. And it appears I finally succeeded in hiring the perfect contractor (trial and error, people; trial and big, tear-​inducing error). Best Value Home Improvements did a FLAWLESS job replacing all but one of the interior doors in my house (and I will hire them to get to that last one soon enough), removing /​rebuilding a closet, putting a pocket door in my master walk-​in even though the ceiling slopes four inches in defiance of the home improvement gods, and replacing all my downstairs trim.
They didn’t surprise me with any «misc expenses,» f#@% anything up, or make a mess. Ever. They cleaned up TO MY STANDARDS every night (not even SuperHubs understands my standards, folks), and when the job was done, they even PUT ALL MY CRAP IN MY NEW LAUNDRY ROOM CLOSET AND ORGANIZED IT FOR ME!
Manny, Bat (man), and other guy whose name I can’t remember (sorry) — you guys are THE. BEST. Seriously.
I love my new lower level. It surpasses all my expectations.
Next (after I crack this bottle of champagne over a doorknob and down it): we move on to… OPERATION: DECORATE DOWNSTAIRS (finally). And then we move on to OPERATION: NEW BATHROOM, for which I will definitely hire Best Value.
You should, too.

I hired these folks to replace & repair siding, and paint the 2^nd story of my 100 y/​o house. I don’t hire a lot of outside help, as I’m quite picky about how projects are done on my home. These guys: — showed up on time; — called or texted when there were any issues; — made appropriate suggestions; — used high quality materials and labor; — finished on time and on budget; — were nice to my dog. I would hire them again in a heartbeat.

Re-​doing my kitchen was the third and biggest project Best Value has handled for me yet: new floor, new cabinets and countertops, new sink and dishwasher, ceiling lights and painting. A magnificent job, all done right on time. My only complaint is that I didn’t get enough time off. Manny’s team would turn up on the dot at 7:30 and sometimes work for twelve hours. They were quick, and clean as cats. And extremely helpful. I’d left a lot of decisions to the last minute and they walked me through choosing cabinets, countertops and flooring. The workmanship and attention to detail are delightful. Special thanks to Togo, but everybody was a pleasure to work with. And friends are highly impressed by the results — and by the price.

Best Value did a wonderful job on two bathroom remodels in our home. We really appreciated how once the team started, they finished. Working with Manny, the GM was very easy and the the guys who were on the job at our house were friendly, courteous and generally easy to have around. It was a great experience all around.

Best Value Home Improvements is in the process of replacing our porch, which sits over a room in our basement that we are hoping to use as an office. Manny was very professional and gave us a very fair price, especially for the quality of work his team has done so far. We have seen a whole range on contractors in the 1.5 year of owning our house. What we really appreciate is that they are:
1. Timely: Manny started the job when he said he would. And since they started the work, there have been very brief pauses in the work. They work hard to get the job done quickly but without compromising quality.
2. Meticulous: After every day, they generally leave the place swept and clean. We’ve had just a few «collateral damages,» but they are to be expected.
3: Professional: Everyone who has come through to work has been very professional. They communicate with us every step of the way and try to be responsive.
Another thing I I really like is that Manny seems to have a great roster of specialists. For our project, he’s brought in roofers, a team for cement/​tile, and another for stucco. Next we will have a different team for sheet rocking. Each team just leads to the next, and each team is highly skilled in what they do. I highly recommend Best Value.

Best Value did a great job on exterior paint job of my home. They were prompt, courteous, and clean. Did excellent prep before painting. Finished on time, and were reasonable! Thank you Frank and Team!

I’ve helped to Manage the property for our small Home Owners Asoociation for 10 years and I’ve worked with contractors both big and small over that time. Best Value, Specifically Manny and Orgill, EXCEEDED our expectations by every measure.
1) they provided me a competitive written estimate AT THE TIME OF ESTIMATOR VISIT! Not 2 weeks later, not ‘never heard from again until i call’. right when you meet!
2)Manny was on time for our first meeting, communicated clearly, understood our concerns always followed up promptly to my calls. He even met me more than once at my Office to work out the details!
3) Orgil, who was the day-​to-​day person onsite for our 2 projects, stayed in touch anytime an issue arose. his team was professional and always seemed friendly and understanding of our tenant’s needs.
4) Work Quality– We had Best Value handle a large scale exterior paint job and a major deck replacement. the craftsmanship and attention to detail exceed our expectations. One resident said“they painted in places i didn’t know we had!!” the borders are straight and, most importantly, there was no paint on anything shouldn’t have paint on it. (which seems like a problem for most painters)
I’ve never worked with a contractor that has provided this level of service in all these areas. Frankly Most contractors seem to excel at being just the opposite.
We, are in the process of selling our condo. No doubt their workmanship significantly increased our value. We hope that, wherever we move to, Best Value will be available to work on our painting and carpentry projects.
thanks guys!

We had Best Value refinish/​seal the cedar shingles on our older (1912) home and do a small carpentry project to replace a utility door in a finished room. They were considerate and quick and clear about the estimate and the process. The job was done much quicker than we expected, so fast that we had to scramble for payment, but Manny (who managed the project) was understanding of the predicament and patient. The crew who did the work was friendly, clean and tidy, and did a quality job with attention to detail. The job was done well and has a 5 yr warranty, which should be plenty to assure the sealing work was done right. The carpentry work was well done with attention to detail. Manny was friendly, considerate, and attentive. He shows real care for the work done and customer satisfaction.
I worked in the trades as a high-​end cabinet maker for a decade and was impressed by their speed, efficiency, friendliness, and value. I would highly recommend them for the type of work we had done.

This company has demonstrated a dedication to perfection. I mean it doesn’t get any better than this. Frank sat with us and went over every detail of the job, even so much as giving us the names of the craftsmen, a conference call with the craftsmen, and what time they would be arriving at our home.
These men were courteous, professional, and total perfectionists. We are extremely pleased with finished products.
I just want to invite people over to my house for drinks and stare at my crown molding and finished ceiling.
Maybe, I’ll have a barbecue and call it «A Crowned Heights Affair»!
I highly recommend this company!

We just had a very good experience working with Best Value for exterior house painting in southern Marin County, including repair and replacement of dry-​rotted sills and flashings. The company rep, Manny Borowsky, was pleasant and attentive and returned all phone calls within 15 minutes or less. All amendments to the original bid were identified and discussed prior to work commencing. The work team was extremely professional: They kept their work area neat and contained, were conscientious about our dogs and got the work done very promptly. Manny did a walk-​around with me as soon as the work was finished and a couple of very minor follow-​up items were addressed within two days.
I guess only time will tell how good a paint job truly is, but based on my experience thus far I would highly recommend Best Value

After years of misery with an old leaky roof, we hired Best Value to do a replacement. We are very happy with our decision:
— great quality work (no leaks during our last rain!)
— good attention to details
— friendly and expert workers
— good timing
— trustworthy (showed up when said they would)
— good clean up daily
— cost was as expected
I would definitely recommend Best Value, Frank, and his crews.

Rain, wind, and sun. These natural elements are also a roof’s worse enemy. Last year, we had Best Value Home Improvements installed a new roof for us and I promised to update once a year has reached. Our beautiful roof is still holding strong. There are no leaks or breakage that I know of. Out of all the home improvement companies that I’ve worked with, Best Value Home Improvement remains the most professional, clean, punctual, and affordable. I’ll be sharing them with my family and friends. Hopefully, I won’t need any major work done on the house, but if I do Manny and his team will be the first one I’ll call.