My wife and I delayed doing “the major remodel” for years because we had heard all the horror stories.  But the time had definitely come, and the perfect rental house fell into our laps in our neighborhood.   So we decided to move forward and hired our architects.  We were going to use a general contractor who had done some other remodels in our neighborhood.  But our architects highly recommended Nick so we interviewed him as well. 

This was a major remodel, full kitchen with an addition, major structural changes throughout, full remodel of two bathrooms, a new deck and porch, new windows, in short, basically the works.  From the first interview, it was evident that Nick knew what he was doing.  He had thoughtful suggestions across the board and always provided a reasonable and pragmatic point of view.  We decided to go with Nick, and it was the best decision we made. 

Nick managed to bring in our remodel on budget, on time, and with impeccable workmanship, all while dealing with the major obstacles of COVID19 and the shelter-in-place.  It was quite incredible that he got it done.  Nick is not overly dependent on subcontractors, and he knows how to line things up from a timing perspective and press those involved in the job so things run relatively smoothly and get done on time.  At bottom, Nick is just a real pro, and I couldn’t recommend him more highly.  And to top it off, he is a good guy too!

-Jamie and Carol W.

“Nick Calder built our 4300 SQFT custom home in Corte Madera and was absolutely amazing to work with. Our project was delivered on time, on budget and with the highest attention to detail from the foundation work to the finish work. We found Nick and his longtime crew to be very reliable, trust worthy and solution oriented throughout our project. Nick was a true partner and a pleasure to work with. He comes highly recommended.” - Ian D.

“Nick transformed our home into almost a new place. Their work included a new roof, new skylights, replaced windows, hardwood floors throughout, three renovated bathrooms, and a beautifully reconfigured kitchen. Nick’s talented crew had an eye for detail, did flawless tile work, and solved some design hurdles with creative finished carpentry. They were on time, on budget, and we got through the entire project in about five months. They were all great to work with, and we wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them.” - Dan B.

“How often do you hear these words about a general contractor? ‘I love my contractor and I cannot say enough good things about him’. Any time anyone asks me about Nick, that is exactly what they hear from me.
Nick Calder and his crew remodeled our 100+ year old home, adding a bedroom, a bathroom and an entry hall as well as updating the kitchen, putting in recessed lighting, painting, moving some walls around, and building a brand new two car garage.
Initially we were concerned because he was the lowest of the four bids that we received, but after several conversations with his previous clients, we were convinced that Nick was our guy. And we were right. Nick is a very stand up straightforward person, who takes real pride in his work. When the inevitable hiccups came up, he handled them head on, made great suggestions and did everything at a reasonable cost. He has an amazing crew, who are careful, conscientious and real artisans. We are so happy with the work they did and by the end (because we were living in the house while they finished up) they felt like family. I recommend him to anyone I know who is looking to do work on their home and in the the very unlikely event that we go through the remodel process again, I would hire him in a heartbeat.” - Amy Atherton

“Best builder in the county. Nick and his crew are fantastic to work with, high integrity, great craftsmanship, and patient with customers who can be exhausting. He remodeled our kitchen/great room area which included moving an outside wall and adding roofline. Their attention to detail was fantastic, their attitudes were always ‘can do’, and they were always positive and upbeat. Having been thru two other not-smooth remodels, this was a completely different and amazing experience. I would highly recommend Nick Calder and his team for any project, and look forward to a great experience.” - Susan K.

“Calder Custom Building is the best contractor we have ever worked with. Our project was unusual and a huge challenge but Nick took it on and did a fantastic job. We have remodeled 6 of our own homes and countless clients’ homes, Nick makes remodeling easy. Anything Nick is involved in will be done right, look good and be priced reasonably. We can't thank him enough for taking on our project and doing such a great job.” - Kelly R.

“Nick Calder was our general contractor for our kitchen remodel and family room addition. We found him to be reliable, consistent and his work of very high quality. I do not hesitate to recommend him. The job finished on time and on budget. How often do you hear that after a major remodel? On top of that, Nick is a good guy, honest, hardworking and straightforward.” - Charlynn B.

“Nick Calder was our General Contractor for our 95% remodel and expansion of the home we bought in 2012. Nick was great to work with, and helped in many ways; from advising on how to maximize the potential of our site, to ensuring a very high quality of workmanship. He was always available and clearly enjoyed the process of supporting us and translating our ideas into reality. Nick's team of builders was likewise skillful and process oriented. Strongest recommendation!" - Kim Teevan and Daniel May

“Nick and I have worked closely together on many successful projects over the last 18 years.  Nick’s attention to detail has been superb and I especially appreciate his ability to minimize change orders during the course of the job.  I highly recommend CALDER CUSTOM BUILDING on the majority of our projects.”
- Rich Rushton, Rushton-Chartock Architects

“We were fortunate to locate Nick and his crew at Calder Custom Building for our total house remodel and expansion to 3,000 square feet.  This hard-working group was able to accomplish all our goals on schedule and on budget, which speaks volumes based on the scope of work and irregularity of the project.  There were numerous one-of-a-kind features, including stacking ponds, waterfalls, mosaic tiled bathrooms, an engineered roof deck and cast plaster wainscoting – all of which Calder Custom Building executed with absolute precision.   We also appreciated Nick’s creative eye and knack for finding elegant solutions to tricky problems without unexpected costs.  We can’t imagine any other builder having done as good a job and we could not be happier with the results.” - Scott & Toni Pinsky

“Nick worked with us closely start to finish on our large remodeling project, took a real interest in the design and materials and made some great suggestions on alternate choices, and was always around to provide supervision to his crew.  And he came on budget!  We highly recommend Calder Custom Building.” - Carol and Timothy Gee

“Calder Custom Building have been the contractor for many of my residential projects over the past seven years. They are excellent builders, have a very reliable and consistent crew, and make my job as the architect much easier. Above all, my clients are very happy with them.”
- Onju Updegrave, Architect

“I worked with Nick on a major renovation and expansion of a 3500 square foot house in Sleepy Hollow (finished 5/2013). Nick is an excellent contractor.  He consistently generated good ideas for my project from both a practical and an aesthetic prospective.  In addition, he always focused on cost effective solutions to any problems that arose. Even my neighbors commented on the solid work ethic of his crew, and I was very happy with the quality of the work he provided.  Whenever I made requests for additional materials or changes, Nick followed up very quickly and was completely fair in his pricing.  In addition, there was none of the typical slowing down at the end of the project.  Nick and his crew powered through to the end, and took care of the final punch list without delay.  I highly recommend Nick to anyone who is undergoing a home renovation.” - Lisa James

“Having had the good fortune to have had built three custom homes and numerous commercial projects over the last forty years, I have found that picking the right contractor is the most perilous part of the project. Good contractors make for sunny days and poor ones bleak, overcast, drizzly ones. I hired Nick Calder for a number of reasons. He seemed like a pleasant no B. S., competent fellow that I thought I could work with. His bid was straightforward and included some sensible improvements. Nick’s price was the lowest, however that had little to do with my choice, and one of the things I’ve learned over the years is that a bargain is not always a joy forever – in this case it was! Years ago someone referred to me as a “critical son of a bitch” probably with some basis in fact. During our construction I noted no short cuts or improbable techniques. Everything was done as well or better than expected. To say that I am happy with the outcome would be an understatement.”
- Ron Bennett

New Construction • Second Story Additions • Large Remodels