Nerland Building & Restoration, Inc.

I had the pleasure of working with Alex and Lisa to design and build out a one bedroom apartment on the ground floor of our single family home. It was as smooth and painless an experience as one could ever hope for! They came to the initial walkthrough with countless creative ideas. Throughout the design Alex was super receptive to feedback and open to exploring ways to improve the space while keeping the costs in check. When the plans were finalized and approved and we finally broke ground, their crew, project manager & the subs were fantastic: prompt, reliable, communicative, and professional. When it came time to pick flooring, fixtures, countertops, paint, etc - Lisa kept us on schedule and under budget, pinging me with fun, reasonably priced options to choose from, and got everything ordered with enough lead time to stay ahead of schedule despite COVID-era supply chain delays. The finished product was better than anything I had envisioned: the apartment is spacious, fresh, and modern while still maintaining some of the charming characterics of my 1920’s home. They even provided some tips on finding a renter! Already looking forward to my next project with Alex and Lisa, I can't recommend them enough.

Lisa and Alex are an amazing architect/builder/design team! We had a project that required a strict turn around time…. Nerland construction finished the project on time and to a very high standard. They and all their crew were fantastic - communicative, friendly, respectful, eager to please, creative, attentive to detail. The finished project is beautiful! We are so grateful for their work and can’t wait for our next extension/remodel!!

Tackling our first major remodel project was made much easier by working with Alex and Lisa. Before my husband and I began researching whom to work with, we spent time learning about the difference between a traditional Design-Bid-Build process and a Design & Build firm. We had heard agonizing tales of disappearing and difficult contractors and subcontractors from friends who'd completed remodels of various sizes and frankly didn't have the patience for such woes. So when we learned it was possible to work with a smaller pool of identifiable players who would be on board from start to finish, we were intrigued. From the start, Alex and Lisa understood our goals. We sought to convert an oversized garage and storage space to 1-car parking with storage and a family room, guest bedroom/office and bathroom, which of course we couldn't have predicted the value of in 2020! Countless times, their design ideas (big and small) - including a Murphy bed, projector screen, built-ins and reimagined outdoor space - created a more functional space than we had even envisioned that works for us 24/7. We got to know and count on their fantastic team of builders and other specialists, who were easy to communicate with onsite - priceless. And even through COVID, our project carried forward safely with few hiccups on an impressive timeline. We rate the finished product an A+ and praise Alex and Lisa for their creative ideas and execution. Our home is now complete!

NBR is an amazing design/build team that excels at maximizing small SF spaces and restoring old SF homes! We couldn't be happier with how our renovation turned out. They enhanced the beauty and charm of our 1920 Edwardian, made the most of every square foot, and added all the modern kitchen and bath updates that complement the Edwardian feel of the house. Lisa really guided us in renovating our kitchens and bathrooms and she is so adept at figuring out your personal style/aesthetic and providing design options to meet my style, and we stayed within budget. I think I was a client that definitely had a lot of questions and wanted to explore lots of different materials/fixtures/colors -- Lisa was so patient, conferred with me, provided her expertise, and walked me through all the steps to make us feel like we were making the right decisions all the way through. We absolutely love our new home and we have made new friends in the NBR team!

High praise for Lisa, Alex, and the crew. They did a great job blending modern updates into our older 2-unit Victorian. Lisa has great style already and an ability to adapt that style to her clients' personal preferences. Really appreciated that they grasped the our project goals, a refresh of our rental unit. They proposed design and finish decisions that we're optimized for durability and value. That allowed us to invest more money into our owners unit. Definitely recommend and already planning on using again.

Lisa was a pleasure to work with, I highly recommend her team! She was clear in her communications, quick to respond to questions, and always stayed within budget. Her sense of style and eye for design made choosing finishes super easy and we're absolutely thrilled with the end results! I would welcome any opportunity to work together again.

We worked with Alex and Lisa to build out the ground level of our house in San Francisco. The results are fantastic. The new space looks great, has given our family a substantial new living area, and increased the value of our home. This was our first major project on our home and Alex and Lisa were great to work with. I appreciated their transparency with respect to budget and timing. We have recommended them to out neighbors.

We worked with Lisa and Alex to remodel a 1908 Victorian condo in Pac Heights and had a very good experience—definitely the best team we have worked with of the four remodel projects we’ve completed. We wanted to work with a design build firm to avoid the protracted process of using a GC and independent subs. Lisa and Alex immediately understood our vision to preserve the integrity of the home’s Victorian architecture while updating the amenities and style. We remodeled the kitchen, added a master bathroom, converted an underutilized space to a functional laundry and office; and added a fair amount of closet storage. Lisa professionally managed every last detail of the project like a pro—including managing us when we were in high maintenance mode. Excellent communicator. She made me feel the team was invested in getting the project details exactly right. She regularly countered my “restoration hardware” choices with solid, less expensive options to keep us at budget. Alex’s GC and architect background helped us navigate a thorny issue we encountered with a neighbor who was inconvenienced by our project. He could address their concerns knowledgeably. He’s very hands on and showed up on more than one weekend to address time-sensitive issues. Having someone with his expertise who was both overseeing and working on the project meant small issues didn’t cause us big delays. I really appreciated their ability to use technology (texting, PM and billing apps/software, idea sharing apps) to manage the project and help it move along. Their team led by Luis was hardworking and conscientious—careful to leave the place clean. I would highly recommend this team—you’d be lucky to have them as partners on any remodel project. I hope we have a chance to work with them again.

Alex and Lisa of Nerland Building and Restoration are great to work with. They are smart, responsive, and creative. They build a beautiful house for us.

A totally new home, thanks to Alex & Lisa When we started the adventure of remodeling the main level of our home, we met with several design/build firms, checked references, and finally chose Alex and Lisa because they were the best fit for our project. We had a pretty audacious goal to remove all the walls between the kitchen, dining room and living room in our 1940 Dolger home to give a more open and airy feel. We re-imagined a new “great room” in a hybrid style with old and new aspects, along with a healthy dollop of mid-century modern. We knew it would be tricky to make that transitional style cohesive, and knew the engineering aspect of removing walls would also be a challenge. On top of that, we are very detail-oriented owners and control freaks, which would easily drive most contractors crazy. We started out early in our adventure with sketches, clippings and some fundamental design ideas, to which Alex and Lisa both contributed and made better. They guided us with a steady hand in terms of our budget. As we were living in the house at the same time, they took extra care to block off the dust and respect our private time. One advantage of living in the house during the construction is that we could provide feedback on a daily basis which Alex, Lisa and their team received professionally. They were always patient, responsive and respectful of our budget. Of course, along the way we discovered things that needed to be fixed, along with additions that made sense once we saw the emergence of our new living space. In the end, the costs (with considerable additions on our part) were correct, with no surprises and good transparency. It has been a year since completion, and our renovation has held up very well. More importantly, our beautiful new space makes us happy everyday, and it has been a joy to cook in our gorgeous new kitchen. The time and cost of the renovation were so worthwhile. Thanks again to Alex, Lisa and their team for making it happen.

We highly recommend the exceptional home renovation service that Nerland Building & Restoration provides. We recently bought a 1940 single family home in San Francisco, and renovated the kitchen and bathrooms with the Nerlands. The project was extremely close to the original budget, and the delivered product was exceptional. Their attention to customer service and post renovation follow up on details were great! Highly recommended!

Alex and Lisa are true professionals who care greatly for their clients. They and their crew did an excellent job managing the city and the challenges that come with remodeling an old home. The design help was the cherry on top.

We recently purchased a Victorian condo in the Haight and while we love the character, we knew going in that we needed to renovate some things. Our top priority was updating our dark and dated kitchen. We decided early on that we wanted to work with a Design Build Firm and liked Alex and Lisa’s portfolio. We met with them and they really understood our goals and worked with us to find ways to enhance our vision. Working with them was a fantastic experience; rather than planning everything to the nth degree up front, we laid out a common vision for the project and filled in the details as we went. We liked this method since it kept us from getting overwhelmed with decisions, and I’m confident our end result was successful because of their method. Alex and Lisa put us at ease and we always felt that we’re in good hands. They were extremely budget conscious and went out of their way to find savings (even driving to the burbs on short notice to snag a sweet deal on our dream oven range). We lived in our home during the renovation, and the crew was conscientious of this. They cleaned up nightly and always came up with great suggestions and ideas. We were wary going into the project since this was our first renovation. Alex and Lisa nailed both the process and I think the results speak for themselves. So much so…that we’re already planning our next renovation with them.

As busy working professionals that don’t have the time or patience to project manage designers and multiple subcontractors, I can’t emphasize enough how critical Alex and Lisa were to helping us form a vision for our new home and make it a reality on time and within budget. We believe Nerland is a rare breed in the remodeling industry: they helped us distill thousands of tile, paint, and appliance choices into a practical yet classic design style that still felt personal; they coordinated contractors that delivered quality work and communicated with us almost daily on progress; and saved us from ourselves by talking us out of expensive options that would have delivered marginal value to our home in the long-term. In the end, we developed deep trust in Alex and Lisa, and every day we live in our newly remodeled home, we have greater conviction that working with Nerland was the right decision.

We had an excellent experience working with Alex and Lisa and highly recommend them to others looking for high quality kitchen and bathrooms on a budget. They transformed our old San Francisco flat into a place that is cozy, practical and really attractive. Everyone who comes over raves about the results. We couldn't be happier. Alex's design/layout skills mixed with his abilities as a GC, combined with Lisa's interior design skills and ideas made for true "one stop shopping." The ability to work with them in all aspects made for a seamless process that enabled us to set a realistic budget from the start - one that they were able to stick to. They are also so easy to work with that it was a true collaboration from start to finish. They were open to our ideas and needs, but didn't hesitate to make recommendations based on their experience and tricks of the trade. While we felt like we still owned the decisions, they helped make each choice easy and straight forward - well, as easy as one can make a remodel, anyway! As a result, we have no regrets and feel that we got great value for our money. Also a word about Nerland's subcontractors - they are also skilled and pleasant as well. We'd work with the entire team again if the opportunity arises. They all went above an beyond to make sure we were happy with the end product, which is really all you can ask for in a design/build team.

This was our first home renovation project and we went in weary, having heard so many horror stories of projects going way above budget and taking much longer than estimated. We interviewed several design build firms and it was clear from the outset that Alex and Lisa truly listened to our needs and desires, and were the most willing to offer creative solutions that would deliver a high quality result on our budget. We were impressed by how they handled every step of the project. Once we handed over the keys our project progressed at a quick pace, and couldn’t be happier that the Nerland’s delivered early and on budget! We love our new kitchen and deck, and continue to admire it every day. We are happy to recommend their services to all our friends, and can’t wait to collaborate with them on the next project!

Alex and Lisa were simply amazing and a pleasure to work with. We just bought a new house in the Twin Peaks area of San Francisco. We wanted to knock down the wall between the living room and the kitchen and renovate the two upstairs bathrooms that were just outdated. We had four different contractors come to look at our place and give us bids. Alex and Lisa were by far the best priced beating out the rest of the other contractors by almost $10K. We checked out their other projects and loved the results. We were not disappointed. They were incredibly responsive to our texts, phone calls, and e-mails. We got answers within just a couple of days. They were incredibly nice and professional and had great ideas. It was a total package because one was an architect by training and is now the general contractor and the other is an interior designer with an amazing eye. We ended up asking for their advice and help on repainting the different rooms in the house and simply loved the colors that they helped us choose. We would never have come up with the color schemes in our living room on our own and it turned out beautifully! The people who worked with them were incredibly nice. They finished the job in a reasonable amount of time, less than we had anticipated actually. We can't recommend and praise them enough for the job they did. We simply love our new home!! Chris

Nerland Construction provided a mini-makeover for our kitchen - the counter was raised and a new counter top was installed. The tile backsplash was removed, a breakfast nook bench and table were custom built. Alex delivered everything he promised on time and on budget. Like most SF homes, the devil was in the details: the faucet needed to be moved, the floor wasn't level, the counters were different heights, etc. In each instance, Alex was creative, quick with a solution and an excellent communicator. He worked well with our other subcontractors and provided design input that I never would have though of that proved invaluable.

It was a pleasure to work with Alex and Lisa. We were able to take down the walls of our boxed in kitchen in Mill Valley, then update it and open it up into our dining and living room spaces. It was an easy process (friends commented to us and were surprised at how we were so "calm" throughout the remodel job). One of the strongest skills for Alex and Lisa is communication. They listened to and considered our thoughts and were always prepared to discuss theirs. They were available before, during and after the job. Their crew was timely, courteous and kept a well-maintained work space. We have recommended them and will continue to recommend them to others. We thought a long time about remodeling our kitchen. We just weren't able to agree on or were not impressed with other contractors. Alex and Lisa were the ones to help us set our goals, see them through and now we have a bright, functional and enjoyable living space.

We could not be happier with the result of our Tiburon remodel we completed with Nerland Building & Restoration. This was our second project with NBR. Since we already knew the quality of the work, we expected great results, but NBR once again exceeded our expectations. For this project, we needed an entire renovation of our downstairs. The space was almost unusable upon moving into the house. With NBR’s help, we created a beautiful wine cellar, a guest bathroom (which was formerly used as a dark room) and a terrific family den/media room. The space was absolutely transformed. It was Alex’s professional, personal touch along with his architect background which lead to magnificent results. We now have a house with a complete downstairs perfect for our family and entertaining. The attention to detail was amazing as well as Alex’s keen eye to ensure the new spaces matched the aesthetic of the rest of the house. Alex is a natural in his job. His commitment and love of design-build is reflected in every project. I am happy to recommend Alex and NBR and will use them myself again and again.

Very detailed oriented with a clean, respectable and professional team. Everything exceeded my expectations. They didn't just execute on my ideas, they helped create ideas that really brought everything together elegantly. I couldn't be happier and only have the best of things to say.

I have hired Alex for several small remodel jobs in our home over the past 10 years, and I would definitely hire him again. Alex gets it. He understands what it is to be a homeowner, he has a great esthetic, and he is sensitive to costs. He is reliable and does what he says he is going to do. I highly recommend him.

I highly recommend Alex and Lisa Nerland for your home design and build projects. I recently engaged Nerland Building & Restoration for a total transformation of an old, dated kitchen in my Edwardian Craftsman home into a brand new kitchen with all the modern amenities that opened up access to the adjoining hallway and dining room. I enjoyed worked closely with Alex and Lisa throughout the entire process, from initial architecture design to putting the final finishing decorative touches into my space. From start to finish, Alex and Lisa asked the right questions and listened carefully to my input, in order to offer fantastic solutions for meeting my needs and optimizing my space. Lisa’s flair for design and Alex’s detail-oriented construction resulted in a custom kitchen with features and trim that integrated a beautiful and functional modern kitchen while maintaining the period character of my home. Their budget conscious approach means high quality materials and appliances, while not overspending. I appreciate that Alex works with a trusted team he has known for years, so I never had to worry about random subcontractors in my home. The crew took great care to keep the construction site clean and to minimize disruption in my home throughout the project. Finally, I very much appreciate Alex and Lisa’s personal approach, working together with me to think through suggestions while delivering in a professional manner. My project was completed within budget and on time, with no major surprises along the way! I LOVE my new kitchen and look forward to working with Alex and Lisa again soon for my next home project.