Altera Design & Remodeling, Inc.

Summary of our experience with Altera: * Altera left us with a bathroom that was about 50% done and completely unusable - see photographs below of how they left it. * They said they would not do any more work until we paid them 96% of the contract value up front. * Altera would not return our house key. We had no choice but to call the Police to report Altera and change all the locks at our home when they left. * We had to get an attorney and are now incurring legal fees. Here are just some details of the worst remodeling experience we have ever had: * This was a very straightforward master bathroom remodel that was supposed to take no more than 2 1/2 months. However after 5 months, we still had no master bathroom, no master toilet and no use of our master bedroom because Altera were using it to store all their building supplies. * Altera mismanaged the project from day one with what turned out to be a flawed design and incompetent planning and execution. This led Altera to renege on the contract by not completing work on the agreed date. We constantly had to review their design, which had numerous errors, and check the work of the project manager daily, which needed corrections on many occasions. During the design phase, we even had to source the majority of the items ourselves online because the so-called "designer" lacked knowledge of form, function and design - isn't this something any reputable designer would have learned in design school? There is a lot more detail we could add about the "designer" and the "project manager" and their failures throughout the project, all of which are documented in emails to Altera. The owner did not adequately address any of these issues when we complained. * Below is a photo of the cheap junk cabinets they provided for our bathroom remodel. The cabinets were rough to the touch in places because of the low quality of the finishing process. The photographs also show the awful uneven staining that was present throughout. The cabinets provided by Altera did not resemble the sample they gave us and we refused to accept them. * The owner ignored our concerns about the cabinets and tried to make them permanent by installing the quartz countertop - without our approval! We managed to stop it just in time. * The owner also did not reply to our emails on a timely basis - for more that 50 days in one case. * Altera then demanded 96% of the contract value for a project that was barely 50% complete. They said they would not do any more work until we had paid them up front what amounted to 96%, which was outrageous. We understand that making such demands is not in accordance with the Contractors State License Board regulations. * The photographs show how they left our master bathroom, completely non-functional and unusable after 5 months on the job. * Altera did not return our house key and we had to call the Police who then contacted them. The Police advised us to change all our locks immediately for our personal safety. Altera said they would pay the cost of changing the locks but of course they did not. * Altera was also negligent on the job and caused a water leak that damaged our family room ceiling below the bathroom - the whole thing needs to be redone and inspected for potential mold. They also caused damage to the exterior of our home that resulted in rainwater and moisture penetrating the interior of our home and causing additional water damage. * After leaving us with a completely unusable master bathroom suite, Altera continued to demand 96% of the contract value that included work that had not been done and work that was done incorrectly. We now have to pay another contractor to correct their mistakes and complete the remodel. * We had to get an attorney to represent us and deal with the harassment and demands for money from Altera - which was not warranted. * Altera's tile installer played racist hate speech radio while working in our home even though most of their other employees are immigrants. We were disgusted and complained to the owner. In an email to us the owner described the tile installer as a, "fine human being." Shocking! * The way Altera conducts business may also make it necessary for us to contact the Contractors State License Board, California Department of Fair Employment and Housing and the Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. * We have kept full and detailed records in email with photographs to substantiate everything said about our experience with Altera in this review. What I have mentioned in this review is only the tip of the iceberg of all the problems we encountered from day one of contracting with Altera. BIGGEST MISTAKE OF OUR LIFE!!!

We hired Altera Design for our Kitchen Remodel, and couldn't be happier. The decision was an easy one as they had done two bathroom remodels for us five years ago; we were thrilled with the work then, and felt confident we would be with the kitchen. We were proved right in our decision - for us, the extra cost versus just hiring a contractor is definitely worth it. Jim came to our home and helped us brainstorm all of the important elements to incorporate into the design. He had some ideas we never would have thought of. We were thrilled that he assigned the same crew to us that we had for our bathrooms. Amanda the designer then worked with us on the detailed design and worked with us to pick out all of the materials. She gave good ideas while following our vision for what we wanted, and helped find the materials and products to make our kitchen beautiful. Then the work was turned over to Oscar the general contractor and all of the subcontractors who got all of the work done. Everyone was very easy to work with, considering they were in our house every day for nine weeks. We have two dogs and the workers were very accommodating to the dogs. The project was done the day it was promised, which was very important to us. We are thrilled with how beautiful and functional our new kitchen is! I highly recommend Altera Designs to anyone contemplating a kitchen or bathroom remodel.

I love my new Kitchen! We did a complete remodel and although it was expensive, I knew I was getting quality work and people who cared about me. They helped me understand details, were patient with me when i changed my mind, and encouraged me to ask questions. They completed the job on time and within the original budget even though I added a few extra unexpected things to the list. From Jim the owner, to Yuko our designer and Sean our hard-working and talented project manager... I will definitely use them when i'm ready to remodel our bathroom (or add another one!)

Excellent design of shower bath. Construction went well and was done on a timely basis. Would strongly Consider Altera far any future similar type project.

Altera is purpose-built to undertake high quality remodel projects. Their internal organization pairs a single designer with the job foreman. Together they necessarily share multiple notebooks of information such that the job is done right in the field. All communication from the owner (me) goes through the designer first. It has to be that way and Altera makes it so. Otherwise, important pieces of information may not be shared with everyone who needs to know. Several Altera personnel have been with the company for a long time. I know because I have used them on numerous projects at two different homes in Lafayette, CA. The guys in the field have experience and great skill at their trades. Plus they could not be more courteous and respectful. The proof of process is in the results. We love our new kitchen, new laundry room, new windows and much more. If your want everything about your project to come out they way you dream it should be, then you should start by calling business owner Jim Vivrette at Altera.

Jen was wonderful with our bathroom remodel. She helped design an entirely new bathroom and coordinated with Steve who was great to work with. They all work together well at Altera and make sure the end product is what you want.

We recently had a kitchen remodel completed by this company. All aspects of the enterprise were well done from the initial visit to the final visit. The designer, Amanda, quickly tuned in to what we were looking for and made great suggestions. The project manager, Al, was prompt, efficient and completed the project in minimum time. All in all an excellent experience.

Great experience with Altera from the initial meeting with Jim the owner, to Amanda the designer, and Steve the contractor the experience has been great. Lots of attention to detail and when details were missed, they didn't hesitate to correct them at no additional cost.

Our master bathroom remodel has now been completed and we are extremely happy with the entire project performed by Altera Design and Remodeling. The project was performed flawlessly from the day the contract was signed until the on time completion and final walk through was made. The in house designer we worked with made our choices for all materials and color selections very easy to choose ; we totally love the new look. The project manager made the entire project flow smoothly without any unexpected surprises. We were particularly impressed with the meticulous workmanship. This work can get messy but it never happened under his direction.

It’s been nine months since our kitchen renovation and bathroom upgrades were completed. We are still pleased. We stayed in our house during the work. Our project manager, Rick, kept the dust out of the rest of our house and cleaned everything before he left for the day. The hall bathroom took one month, as did the master bathroom. The tile was done precisely. The kitchen, with its cherry cabinets, took four months of work. Our designer, Chrysan, came up with a great design for our needs. She also helped us select the materials. You can tell that our kitchen is custom, and we have received many compliments on it. Rick and the other workers did careful, precise work. There was an attention to detail that I appreciated. I work from home, and I was still able to continue to work while the renovation was going on. There wasn’t any music, yelling, or excessive noise. Rick didn’t interrupt me during the day. He contacted me either at the beginning or end of the day with questions. He also sent me emails with updates and questions if I wasn’t around. Altera coordinated everything with the other vendors. We stayed on budget for our bathroom and kitchen projects. Altera stands behind their work. There was a small problem with a plug a few months after the kitchen was finished, and they sent out an electrician the next day to fix it. It was great working with a full-range design and remodeling company.

Altera did our kitchen remodeling, which turned out to be an amazing project and exactly as I envisioned it. The quality of work and craftsmanship is exceptional. The whole project took about 9 weeks, which was fast and was finished in the predicted time frame. From beginning to end, all people involved in our kitchen were fabulous and very professional. I recommend this company highly.

Their team was prompt, courteous, clean, and highly professional. They have their own showroom and in-house design consultants. Our original intent was to concentrate on remodeling an outdated kitchen, opening up a small window over the sink, replacing the cabinets, countertops, floor and appliances. We decided to expand the remodel to include parts of the adjacent living room which turned the area into a great room. We are on a steep hillside and enlarging the windows required some unexpected city-mandated structural work. Because of that we had to go over budget, but the results are wonderful. A small space that feels much larger, has tons of light and wonderful views. Their very high quality work was finished within the stated time frame. Because we are vey busy with our work, we really depended on the company being completely reliable. They did not disappoint.