Brady Construction Inc. - San Francisco, California

mad C.

In summary, Brady Construction remodeled our 115 year old Victorian San Francisco home with great quality, collaborated on solutions to problems, with a massive increase in scope for the project, completing the work in less than a year. Bernard the owner of Brady construction gets work done, takes personal responsibility for the work, is on top of things, and collaborates on solutions to problems as no amount of planning can account for. He’s been great to work with, and has gone above and beyond what one would expect from a contractor as it takes pride in his work. I highly recommend Brady construction, and dare say something I never hear, that I loved our contractor.

The scope of our renovation initially was to extend the back of the house by 8’ allowed by code and raise the roof at the back of the house to add a bedroom and bathroom, with a powder room on the main floor and new stairs to the front door. Most of the house would remain untouched. The plan was a 10 month project from Aug 2017 to June 2018.

During the course of the project, we added significantly to the project, by
- replacing the whole foundation to modern code
- lowering under the house for 8’ of clearance in the garage with a new slab
- replacing all windows for improved thermal control
- replacing all electrical to modern code, with the removal of legacy
- attic in the thermal envelope with closed cell spray foam
- modification of the kitchen to create an island and open the space
- replacement of all floors with period matching hardwood and detailing
- matching of moldings to period styling for a Victorian
- solar on the roof with in-house battery backup to tolerate PGE power outages and reduce CO2 emissions
- electrical heat pumps for heating with the free bonus of cooling needed with global warming
- addition of a 1st floor rental unit of 450sqft with mechanical for the house and rental unit in a single 7’x9’ room
- restoration of classic Victorian façade on the front of the house
- historically accurate stairs
- rear elevated and ground level deck

All of this addition work was completed with only 1 month added to the schedule, so the schedule became from Aug 2017 to July 2018, done in 12 months.

Bernard was collaborative and cooperative to work on changes that were uncommon but good practice to prepare for global warming both in terms of carbon reduction, the thermal envelope of the house to reduce heat retention from extreme heat days, heat pumps for hot or cold air running on electrical, and solar with battery backup to handle power outages due to wildfires.

We’ve had some issues after moving in as expected with any project of this scope, and Bernard is very responsive and immediately works to correct problem, 1 year, or 2 years after the project was completed. He has come to personally investigate problems with stopped gas lines which were root caused to PGE, and not his work.

The tilers, painters, flooring, plumbing, and electrical sub-contractors have done great work, with high quality aesthetics.

I highly recommend Brady Construction, and will gladly work with them again.

Monika S.

Brady construction was our contractor when we decided to build out an extra bedroom and bathroom at the garage level of our house. We worked with an architect that presented us three  contractors bids. Brady Construction being one of them. Brady Construction stood out in a couple of ways - one on cost, then timing but also in communication.

Overall we had a great experience with them - words I never thought I would say when with working with a contractor after hearing horror stories from others about their construction projects.

First, the owner Bernard Brady was our main contact, who visited on site daily and who was always available. He was on top of all their subcontractors and kept us in the loop.

The other advantage was the timing, they came in months ahead of other bids. The main reason for this was because they don't sub-contract out their concrete work.  Therefore, when it came time to pour new concrete, they could manage when that was happening, and allowed it to happen on time and was priority to stay on schedule. I believe this also helped with the cost factor because they didn't have to sub-contract it.

Lastly, change orders were minimum and they completed the project only a few weeks behind, all for good reasons.
At the end of the day, the project came out well. The room and bathroom seem like they have always been a part of the house and we were very pleased with the end result.

I would recommend them and hope to use them for future projects. Also, shout out to the ladies in the office, who were very pleasant to deal with and helped with any questions or follow-ups!

Besse G.

Brady Construction - in particular, Bernard, John and Javier - were beyond impressive and a pleasure to work with. They led a massive bathroom gut renovation with collaboration and patience. In addition they led a kitchen remodel, more interior work, and so much more for a home we recently purchased. I was impressed by their communication, attention to detail and work ethic. Their subcontractors were excellent and true craftsmen. Even though our project was comparatively small to much of their current work, we were treated as though our house was a major priority. And though the work is over, I’m confident we will be partnering with them for years to come.

Sabra B.

Brady Construction completed a remodel for us in Jackson Square, San Francisco. The finished product is very high quality.
The project was on time, on budget and they were able to complete the kitchen remodel portion in 8 weeks.
Bernard is very responsive and easy to communicate with. His loyal crew and subcontractors have been with him for a long time which tells you a lot about how he runs his business.
They finished as strong as they started and even came back for a few favors after the project was complete.

S W.

Bernard Brady and his crew are professional, timely and responsive. Couldn’t recommend them more. He did a complete gut renovation of my home several years ago which came out beautifully and I look forward to working with him again for the next project I have in the works. Efficient, knowledgeable and reliable.

Irene M.

Brady Construction did my dream remodel and I am so happy with the results. My architect's plans were complicated and Brady Construction implemented the design perfectly. My home was taken down to the studs and completely rebuilt beautifully. Bernard Brady, the owner, and his crew worked tirelessly to complete my project. He easily resolved construction issues and kept me informed on a weekly basis of his progress. He didn't accept second best, only the best. I highly recommend Brady Construction.

deb M.

I have worked with Brady Construction on two projects at my home in SF. The first project was approximately 6 years ago and involved a smaller remodeling in the home (bath, bedroom, kitchen cabinets). I was very happy with this project and when I went to do the larger remodel I didn’t hesitate to reach out to Bernard for the second project. This project was much bigger and involved completely gutting the house and excavation of a lower level. The project scope grew as things were uncovered in the demo phase and Bernard was able to adapt and make recommendations on the items that needed work and where it wasn’t. The structural work involved on this house was extensive - including hand digging 13 piers to various depths, lifting the house to help level out from some settlement, installing various steel beams, taking out the old foundation and putting in a new one. From a design perspective we ended up removing the front stucco facade and worked on returning towards the original design. In uncovering some of the old details, Bernard worked on replicating the trims and reliefs. The interior we also worked on preserving the original details which meant a lot of mill work. Bernard and Lisa were invaluable and I wouldn’t have considered using anyone else. The project ended up lasting just over 2 years and was considerably larger than we originally planned. Brady Construction did an amazing job and I still enjoy seeing people stop in front of the house to admire the new facade and Bernard’s restoration.

Dirty T.

When asked repeatedly to please not park in my private driveway for the job they are doing next door, I finally called the owner, Mr. Brady. No courtesy, no apology, and when offered a possible remedy to the situation I was rudely informed they have no Quid pro Quo, and then hung up on. That's no way to run a railroad when you are daily inconvienencing the neighbors, and blocking a driveway that is used for deliveries, etc. According to SFMTA regulations it is a violation, and when reported results in at least a citation and a TOW if required. In this economy it's a sad day that an incredibly rude business owner, has zero respect for another business owner (perhaps because I'm a woman?), when there is no "Quid Pro Quo", no dialog, and NO courtesy between a born and raised San Franciscan and other struggling business owners.