Sterling General Construction

This review is lengthy due to the emotional roller coaster we have been on for the past 8 months. This period of time has been difficult and has tested our patience.
It started out as a fire next door in an adjacent townhouse. The house that burned was pretty much a total loss and it seemed we were lucky when we were allowed back into our house 5 hours later once the smoke had been cleared by the Fire Department.
There was sheetrock on the floor and holes in the wall where the firefighters were looking for the source of the smoke, but the house seemed intact despite the devastation on the other side of the common wall. As the next few hours passed, we could smell smoke in our home and furnishings, and once the inspections started, the water damage was already present on the common wall and floors. The next few days were stressful in communicating with our insurance company, finding a damage mitigation company and a contractor to assess the damage.
We chose Sterling after talking to John Allender, the owner, and after feeling comfortable meeting with Curt Wilson, Sterling’s Estimator. Curt was a godsend over the next few weeks in dealing with our insurance company. He was detailed in the explanation about the damage resulting from the smoke that had traveled through the cavities in our home and Sterling’s plan to ensure that no smoke odor would remain after they finished their work.
The estimates and damage assessments took quite a long time to process as it required coordination (read: disagreements) between what should be done and what our insurance adjustor deemed to be necessary.
The period of time while nothing was being done in our home due to the insurance and contractor negotiation was really frustrating. Curt was really helpful and we had almost daily communication. He kept us focused and sensed the frustration we were experiencing in dealing with insurance and living in one room of the house while the abatement work was done. Curt continued to be helpful in resolving any issues that arose and was sensitive to our needs throughout this entire process.
Once the initial scope of work was determined, we were notified by Sterling that the plan would require a total pack out. Everything would be moved out of our home due to the required work to the attic, walls, floors and ceilings.
Unfortunately, the work didn’t start right away, and there was another period of inactivity while work was being done next door. The tear down of the fire damaged home was necessary to determine the extent of damage. This, along with employee vacations, necessary plans and permits being obtained, caused delays.
But things really started moving along once we met Sterling’s project manager, Lloyd. What an amazing person! He has one mindset: to get things moving along. Idle time is not in his vocabulary and he had crews quickly moving in and out of the house on a daily basis. He takes great pride in the work being done and is very picky about the quality of work… for example he had the shower drain moved about an inch and a half so it would be centered. He is not afraid to offend one of his subcontractors if the job isn’t done to his or the customer’s standard. Even though he has the tough guy look, what a gentleman, and he is extremely easy to talk to. Lloyd was very accessible and communicative; we talked to him on a daily basis. His calmness and patience transferred the confidence to us that things would be taken care of. His time is spent between multiple projects, but he always has the pulse on the details of each client. He’s focused and when confronted with issues that arose during the project he turned out to be a problem-​solver extraordinaire. He was our rock and kept us on track with his positive wit and more importantly, expressing his ongoing desire to get us back home and happy.
The construction progressed to where we met Sterling’s carpenters, David and Ed. They are hardworking guys and they both go above and beyond in the detail of their finish work and commitment to get things done right the first time. David does amazing molding work. There were some extremely challenging corners and transitions where his work showed what a great eye he has for detail and what is esthetically correct. Ed also has a great eye and worked diligently to protect surrounding interior areas. He knew to put blocking between studs in a couple of areas where we would be mounting towel rods. It’s the little things like this, when done, that are so appreciated when one’s patience is being put to the test. Kudos to them.
If ever in an unfortunate situation like ours, remember that being patient is first and foremost as this process can be lengthy and stressful. Trusting Sterling to do what they do will be worth it. We moved back into our home this past weekend and appreciate having our home back as beautiful and odor free as it was before the fire next door.
Thank you!

This is the best construction group we’ve ever worked with. They did great work, hired quality subs, and were easy to work with. Even when a few things did come up, they handled it quickly and with little fuss.

I would never hesitate to call on Pat, John, Lynda or Beth when I need work done on my home. Never. I have moved to a different area from them, however, and so I just want to say that I’ve known them for many years. We’ve volunteered many times on campaigns that mean much to all of us and I’ve gotten to know them as individuals. Their level of ethics, manners and care are extremely high and I would trust them with even my mom’s house. I cannot speak highly enough of them because of what I know. Because of that I have certainty that they’ll treat potential clients with the utmost respect, honesty and will deliver a stellar product.

Sterling General Construction remodeled my sister in laws house and did a fantastic job! I was amazed how they took a small living room and turned it into a grand space with loads charm and detail. Years ago they remodeled her kitchen and I love that as well. I wish they were closer so they could remodel my house. My sister in law thinks John is the greatest, easy to talk to and ethical in business with a great staff including Lynda who handles the calls. Do not hesitate to use them, you won’t regret it.

Sterling Construction did my entire condo repair and renovation. I could not be more satisfied with the excellent results and the service provided throughout the project. Construction projects are never easy, but Pat, Beth and the team do whatever it takes to take the stress away and keep customers satisfied.
If you want a contractor who listens, delivers on commitments, is easy to work with, and provides quality workmanship, then you’ll want to use Sterling Construction.

Our experience with Sterling was great. Pat was very helpful in working with out insurance agent to reach a fair settlement. David did a great job on our bathroom. Everyone who was involved was very professional and competent. I wouldn’t hesitate to use the company again.
Bill & Glenda Erfurth.

I work with a lot of general contractors and the expertise, efficiency and care they took with the our project made the entire process move very smoothly. I would highly recommend them to any prospective clients of mine.

Sterling Construction just completed our master bathroom remodel. We are very pleased with the results. From the initial estimate I was impressed with John’s knowledge and desire to make us happy. He listened to our ideas and offered suggestions about the things we were unsure of. When the work began the crew showed up on time and made sure to protect our home from the inevitable dust storm. Throughout the process the communication from everyone involved was wonderful. Gary, our lead worker, was easy to talk to and made sure to ask us about all of the small details before proceeding. Overall, Sterling Construction did a wonderful job and we would not hesitate to use them in the future.

I’ve been involved in real estate for years, which naturally exposed me to construction. I heard all sorts of complaints about how long things took and how messy it was. With Sterling, from the estimate to the scheduling to the work itself, you get top quality work and excellent communication, so you know what’s happening and when, and why sometimes nothing’s happening. Yes, it’s dusty, but they warned me about that and did their best to keep it under control. They worked with my insurance company to get everything taken care of, and I couldn’t be happier.

Our neighbor’s house looks great, they started the fire on the fence between our homes. The insurance company paid a very high price. The fence pattern was not matched on our side, they didn’t remove the charred wood from our yard, and I had to call them back to remove wood framing from the cement they poured — wood to soil attracts termites. Considered using them for some of our work but nobody showed up for my appointment. Looks like they do lots of insurance work — too bad we weren’t the insured.

Captain John & crew provided excellent service, great communication, I believe without their exceptional direction and work our Los Gatos home flood damage repair would have cost us an additional 10,000 plus. beautiful job, highly recommend

We recently hired Sterling Construction to do a complete kitchen remodel in our home. These guys were so patient in answering all our questions and providing guidance when we had no idea where to start. They were very knowledgeable with the building codes in our area and during the entire project they listened to our concerns and provided sound advice in the design of our kitchen and other rooms adjacent. We got a new kitchen, dining room and bedroom makeover and we are very pleased with the results.
If you are about to embark on a remodeling project and want to avoid a situation where the quality is low and the cost is high, call Sterling. This was our first experience with them and we would certainly call them again for future projects.

I have a water damage company and I needed a South Bay contractor that I could trust. John does a great job for me. My guys will get rid of the mold or smoke smell but anything that needs to be put together, he gets it done. Because he is used to emergency work, he is great at juggling his schedule to make my customers happy. I’ve repeatedly heard good things from our mutual destressed customers so I am to recommend him.

I had Curt come out to give me an estimate on a small bedroom that needed drywall repairs and some tiles down in the bathroom along with other small things like put toilet and sink back in place. The estimate i got was RIDICULOUSLY expensive. Over $ 6k, thats right, $ 6k!!! I had 4 other general contractors come out, besides Sterling, all gave estimates below $ 3.5k. Way, way overpriced. The room plus bathroom is literally 5×5. With 6 grand i can build a new room. Anyhow i cant review how they work since obviously i did not hire them. Curt was very nice and professional, to be fair. I would not recommend these guys unless you really dont care since your insurance is paying, otherwise steer clear

What a wonderful group of people. Lynda works in this office and she is professional, courteous and very detail oriented.
If you are looking for a remodel in your home or office, i’d definitely call these guys. With GC, you want to go with someone trustworthy with a good reputation, these guys have both!
thank you!

Thank you so much John! I couldn’t believe how fast you got my house back together. Everyone warned me that the nightmare was just starting when the kitchen caught fire. Your ability to handle my insurance company and get me enough to remodel my kitchen in the time you predicted really relieved alot of the stress.
Next time I want my kitchen fixed I won’t use a teenager leaving a frying pan on a stove all day, but I will call you because of your quality of work, professionalism and because you are just a great guy! Woohoo.

Last Nov we woke up to a flood in our home, which was distressing to say the least. We contacted our insurance who immediately sent over Sterling — they sized it up and took immediate action to prevent further damage to our home. They then stayed right on top of the matter helping us with all aspects of the repair until it was completed– which was no small task and required calls on Sunday and after hours to help us out. Every member of their team was courteous and professional and very mindful of our predicament and even made sure we were back together to serve christmas dinner! We very much recommned their service for any type of construcion needs, not just emergencies like ours.

I had a very positive experience with Sterling when they did a full remodel job for me. They were very efficient, honest and well priced. They did an excellent job and I would absolutely use them again.

My opinion is that the work was done too fast and they didn’t care. I had to get another contractor to come re-​do the work. The house was a mess while they were here and after wards. I would NOT recommend them at all.