CLA Construction

Annie T.

We recently engaged Chris and company to build us a deck. When he came to give us a quote, we found that he was able to help us with a few other things we needed in our backyard as well such as wiring and installing light fixtures. He gave us a fixed quote for the deck and then an hourly rate for everything else.

In terms of quality of the work, we couldn't be happier. Our deck, which includes a custom bench wrapping around a retaining well, looks great. Chris was good about consulting us at every step and ensuring that things were turning out to our liking. He's also incredibly detail oriented and was proactive about helping us find the the right paint and fixtures for the back of our house. Many other contractors we've dealt with seemed to do the bare minimum according to what we relayed but it seems Chris took pride in his work and ensured everything was done well.

The reason I can't give 5 stars however is that the last interactions I had with Chris were not positive. We paid him whatever he asked for as the work went along. When it came to the second to last payment he asked for the remaining amount we owed him on the deck plus half of an estimate of the additional work his team did. Again, we happily paid but the one thing I requested was a proper invoice for the additional work. He said ok but it might be hand written. I said that was fine.

A few weeks later, after the rest of the work had completed, he asked me for final payment that week. That wasn't a problem but I asked again for a final invoice, mostly out of principal so I didn't feel like I was throwing random amounts of money at people. He then texted me a 350+ word text meant to represent the work we need to pay him for that I couldn't make any sense of (no commas, no bullet points, no hours/cost associated with each item). At the very end of the text, he also added that he needed me to understand all the work he did for us and that he hoped I would sleep better at night. His attempt to guilt trip me for asking for something as normal as an invoice left a very bad taste in my mouth.

For what it's worth, I don't think he was trying to cheat us. It mostly just felt lazy and unprofessional to then guilt trip a customer for asking for something pretty common. Would I recommend his work: probably yes but also don't believe the service was 5 stars.

Leslie D.

We found a drainage problem in the backyard during the storm last week. We contacted several companies in this field. Chris was very responsive and knowledgeable of the problems we may have.

On the day Chris and his helper showed up on time. They did a great job of augering our drain pipes and diagnosing our drainage systems using the video equipment and promised to provide a follow-up proposal/estimate on the works to be done to improve our drainage.

Chris is a really nice guy and a true pro in the drainage field. I am impressed by his work. Highly recommended.

Keri O.

Chris did a excellent job finding and repairing the drainage leak at my home. I have used him both personally and professionally and he is excellent. I highly recommend Chris with CLA Construction.

Shawn B.

We hired CLA Construction to replace our old redwood deck with a brand new composite deck. Chris did a fabulous job building our new deck from the ground up. He is a master craftsman when it comes to building decks, displaying great care and attention to detail throughout the process. We highly recommend him.

Victor W.

I have a recurring drainage problem on the side of the house and my (late) wife had a water gathering canister with a trash pump installed years ago to handle the problem that happens when it rains. Of course, the water does flow downhill before it has a chance to seep into the house, but without the pump, it builds up against the foundation which I'm told isn't a good idea. I used Chris two years ago to fix a problem and contacted him again, through his web site. Not a good idea since he didn't reply. So I called him and he came out the very next day ON TIME (extra points!). He and his helper spent several hours unblocking the drainage pipes on both sides of the house, reconnecting the trash pump which had disconnected itself from the outlet pipe because of a blockage- caused back flow, hand cleaned out debris and offered advice on a sprinkler system which is showing signs of wear -- to be address next time. Chris does other things besides drainage and I should have used him for some recent repairs rather than the other guy who came when he felt like it. Chris explained things, showed me the blockage using his pipe camera, and charged a reasonable amount for the effort involved.

Strong positive recommendation for CLA!!!

Sally B.

I had a French drain to help with the water that drained under my home, as I was at the bottom of the hill. That did not help, so I contacted CLA Construction and Chris and his crew got under the house and trenched from where the water was coming in and directed it to a sump pump, that drained all the water away from my house. Even the 2017 rains have not caused any problem and my house no longer has standing water under it. Chris gave me a very fair price(about half of what I paid for prior non-working system) and was clean and prompt during all the work.

joanna L.

This is the second time Chris did our drainage clean work. There is a big tree in front of our home that the roots are getting into the drainage line. Chris did very good job getting all the roots out of the drainage line. He also provided good drainage maintenance advise. I am appreciated Chris's professional knowledge and experience.

Leticia M.

We interviewed a few contractors to build a playhouse for our kids in our backyard hillside. So happy we found CLA Construction. Chris was the most responsive contractor I have ever worked with. His ideas were much more detailed than our simple house idea. The attention to detail was beyond our expectation (he made the playhouse look exactly like our main house).

Chris and his team were great to work with - professional, punctual, accommodating, friendly, and more! We will definitely use CLA for any future projects!

Lisa P.

Chris knows his stuff.
Water collecting under my home during the major rainstorms a few months ago revealed the need for a new and improved drainage system. All systems are not equal. Water is insidious.

I got multiple bids for the job and Chris worked with me to make his affordable. Although getting French drains is a pricey and unglamorous ordeal, after seeing how much work went into the project I fully understand the cost.
Chris and his hardworking crew showed up early every week day until the job was done. The work was extensive, requiring much trench digging, cutting into concrete and moving many plants, rocks and other material. They put everything back in it's place with much care and I only lost one bush that had been directly on top of the redirected drain.

Throughout it all Chris was kind, communicative, and thorough. He looked at the project as though it were for his own home and made adjustments or recommendation accordingly, but still finished right on budget in the estimated time.
I highly recommend CLA Construction.

Bill A.

Chris and Connor did an excellent job solving my serious French drain problems around the perimeter of our house. Very polite, efficient and hard working. Called Chris on Saturday, and he was here Monday noon to get the work done before a rainstorm was scheduled to hit on Thursday. I never could have done this myself.