Lifetime Remodeling Inc. - Menlo Park, California

Vivian W.

Update, since I can only post one review under my user name: After we did our first project with Lifetime (a one bedroom, one bathroom addition in 2017 as described below), we hired them again to do a kitchen remodel and expansion for us in 2020. The project involved tearing down a 1950's-era galley kitchen and remodeling it into an open kitchen with walk-in pantry, including expanding some square footage, and updating all of the old electrical system in the house. Once again Lifetime did a great job. We appreciated working with their designer, Alexandra, who helped us visualize everything before we finalized our plan, and provided a lot of helpful input on layouts and materials. It wasn't easy living in our house through a project like this, but Lifetime made it possible. The tail end of our project also collided with the COVID pandemic, but Lifetime worked with us through that and finished as soon as possible given the difficult circumstances.
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We hired Lifetime Remodeling in the summer of 2017 to do a first floor addition to our home in Millbrae. The project involved adding 400 square feet to our house, which included expanding the living room and adding a new bedroom and a new bathroom. It was wonderful working with Sam and his team at every step of the way. Their bid was very competitive compared to the many others I got, and the estimated time for completion (about four months) was much shorter than most of the other quotes.

Lifetime's responsive customer service and attention to detail made our lives so much easier. Here are just a few examples of things they did to minimize our stress. When strong winds blew the construction fence over during off hours, they came out here quickly to get it back up and weigh it down with sandbags. When it came time to block off the parts of the house being demolished, they helped us move furniture and cover it carefully so that it would not get damaged or dirty during construction. When they needed to move the wiring for our internet access, they made sure to reconnect it promptly. The temporary wall they built was very sturdy and effective at blocking out dust, so we had no problem continuing to live in the house throughout the construction. Sam also closely inspected all the work and often caught adjustments to be made that I did not notice. For example, even though the interior painting looked fine to me, Sam decided that he wanted another coat. When we did point out other things that needed adjusting, such as leveling out certain fixtures, the team promptly fixed them. When I asked for a different design for our recessed lighting at the last minute, even after some of them had already been installed, Sam accommodated the request.

Sam checked in with me often, so I always felt well informed about the next steps coming up and what I needed to plan for. This was awesome because I learned that it can be agonizing to pick out tiles, hardwood, hardware, etc. for a project like this, especially for someone like me doing it for the first time. It was also helpful to have Sam's recommendations for suppliers for the finishes and fixtures.

We were really impressed that Lifetime finished the project pretty much right on schedule and with absolutely no cost overruns. To make this happen, most days, Lifetime had a team of two to four workers here by 8 a.m., and they worked steadily for the entire day. They also often worked on weekends.

After Lifetime finished the addition to the house, we ended up also hiring them to do landscaping for our front yard and replacing our concrete driveway with paver stones. They also did a great job on this, and we are so happy with and amazed by how our house looks now.

Remodeling inevitably involves many hard decisions and a lot of time, energy, and money invested by the homeowner! The last thing you need is a contractor who adds unnecessary stress, yet it seemed like everyone I talked to had horror stories about their contractors. We are so grateful that Sam and Lifetime made it a wonderful experience for us.

Alfredo B. J.

You can't go wrong with Lifetime Remodeling. The entire team (Eli, Samuel, Cynthia and crew) are top notch.
The team worked on our two car garage, which was need of a bit of TLC. Eli and Samuel came on-site with their foreman, inspected the space, and provided us their proposal all within a couple of weeks. Once we agreed on the scope of work, they jumped right in. They stayed within budget and completed the project on-time even while my family and I were on vacation.
Not only is Lifetime Building do amazing work, they make you feel as if you're family. My family and I plan to use them again in the future.
Attached are a few before and after photos of their work.

Shlomit L.

Our remodeling was done remotely, and yet we were thrilled with the end result. Lifetime Remodeling provided us with the highest quality of work and costumer service. Shmuel and the team were very receptive to all our requests and easy to communicate with. Lifetime remodeling brought their structural engineer, completed blue prints, got the plans approved with the city, and orchestrated all the professionals. The work included taking down walls, electrical work, building a pantry and a walk-in closet, repositioning a supporting beam, enlarging windows, creating a bar, painting walls and cabinets, changing bathroom floors, installing kitchen backsplash, hardwood flooring installation and refinishing, and more. The job was completed within the planned budget and time frame. They truly care about doing the best for their clients, and it shows. Highly recommended.

Martin H.

We first met their team when a salesman cold-called us. It took us a while to make a decision about what we wanted to do, but once my wife and I decided to move forward, working with Shmuel and his team was excellent. I can't say enough good about them.

The project involved removing a bathroom, adding a bathroom, removing and remodeling a kitchen, adding hardwood floors, adding a gas line, upgrading an electrical box, moving HVAC ducts, wiring and hanging a chandelier, tile for a fireplace and mantle, and painting. There were structural walls that needed to be modified.

They promised to get the job done in six weeks, in time for an important family gathering we had planned. We were skeptical, but bet on them, and they came through.

In any project of this size, there will be unforeseen issues that come up. In all of those cases, Shmuel was excellent to work with. Some examples are:

- Once we saw the lighting in the new kitchen, we wanted an extra light over the sink. He tore-up some of his work and added it and charged us for the hardware only.
- We wanted a cabinet added by our front door and another by our laundry room. He added it to the work without question, and charged only for the hardware.
- We decided we wanted to replace the stair railing. He helped us find bids from railing experts, and charged us the bid without any contractor markup. The extra work disrupted his planned work schedule, but he worked around it to make sure we were still done on time.
- The vent over the kitchen range appeared too low to us, even though it was within code. He replaced and installed the cabinet with something smaller. No charge.
- With all the demolition, he accidentally lost our Nest thermostat. When this was realized, without any questions or me having to ask, he apologized and picked-up a new one, at his cost.

Some other examples of the excellent service:
- Shmuel and Shalhevet helped us pick paint colors and pick kitchen appliances and cabinet styles, traveling to a number of stores with us. My understanding is that most contractors would just tell you to pick something and leave you to figure out the details.
- They allowed us to live in our home during construction. At the end of each day, they spent time blocking-off areas and moving equipment (as required by code) to make the site safe for our children. He could have easily just insisted we spend a month in a hotel.
- All the little things. For example, we never discussed replacing the flooring HVAC vent covers; he bought beautiful new ones that matched the wood floors we chose. We never discussed replacing outlet faces, but he felt it wasn't right to repaint and leave the old worn outlet faces.

They are highly recommended!

Nathan A.

We had a great experience with Lifetime Remodeling. We engaged them on a full basement remodel covering over 2,000 sq ft, including a bathroom, multiple bedrooms, converting an old workshop room to a wine room, and opening up a family room and children's play room. We're thrilled with the results. The team (James, Holly, Stacey, Matt, Stefan, and others) were all great to work with. The design support was excellent. James, the project leader, partnered with us through the entire project and drove it to conclusion. We also appreciated his frequent updates and constant availability for questions or follow-ups. The team was respectful of our house and delivered on everything they said they would do. We'll continue to use Lifetime for future projects.

Joyce A.

Lifetime does an impecable job! The quality of their work and their client experience is the perfect combo that every family should look for in their home experience. Sam has treated our house as if it was his, exceeding our expectations! This was our first time remodeling a house and Sam held our hand every step of the way. Really glad we worked with him.

Diane B.

We paid Lifetime to draw up plans for an ADU and get a permit from the county for them. They submitted the plans and we paid them, but the county asked for changes. Lifetime stopped answering our calls and emails and those from the county and moved out of their office in Menlo Park. We have no way of contacting them and no other designer will start work to complete Lifetime’s plans

Neal H.

Before Lifetime I had been in contractor nightmare with two hellish experiences. Lifetime was the complete opposite. Eli, the project manager, was friendly, informative, industrious, and kept his word on everything. The workers performed all their duties and even went the extra mile doing added tasks that I did not ask for (but made the end results even better), I am now using Lifetime on a second project and they are performing to the same professionalism and excellence. I have recommended them to friends who have had positive experiences as well with the company.