Get matched with top architects/engineers in Del Mar, CA

"Office promptly called to schedule an appointment. Engineer was knowledgeable, pleasant, and provided the service we requested."

"There were several challenges specific to this project. First, it is was our first remodel ever - so we were novice clients and needed a GC that could provide an extra level of guidance for us. Second, the project was done remotely - we lived 500 miles away and could only visit the project periodically, so we needed someone who was a very good communicator and easy to access. Finally, the home had never been updated, so there were many unknowns about what might be discovered during the demo and remodel stages. We bought the home in 2012 on a short sale "as-is" and rented it out until we started the remodel.

At the bid stage, Danny Montijo (CEO of DM Building) provided the most detailed proposal by far. His pricing was also very competitive. He had been recommended by the architect who had drawn up our plans and he was at the top of our Angie's list search as well. We made our decision to go with Danny based on the referrals, his bid and phone conversations. He proved to be a very good communicator throughout. Since he doesn't do any of the hands-on work himself, he was very prompt in returning calls - phone/txt/email are his main personal tools. His very detailed bid/estimate proved to be a very helpful document throughout the project, as it was easy to see what was included and what wasn't. 

Quality-wise, the project was first class. During our periodic visits, we were able to talk not only to some of his team, but also to some of his subcontractors. Danny's requirement for high quality was constantly brought up unsolicited. Subtle aspects of higher quality were regularly pointed out. - from tile work, to painting, to cleaning up. Really, at every step, every decision.

The bid was fixed price; we never had a situation where Danny came back to us and complained about an aspect of the project going over budget if the task proved more difficult than expected. He was extremely fair and ethical. He was also straightforward - if he ran into a problem or felt he needed to recommend something that was originally outside the scope, he did so, provided a price, and we felt it was fair. Some of the discoveries during the demo and remodel were ugly ones in terms of budget and schedule (e.g. we learned we needed to re-pipe all hot & cold water and there was a recommendation to install all new drainage under the house, which we decided to do). We also made requests for additions/modifications that were outside of the original scope, such as adding some electrical, putting new insulation in the attic, etc. In a couple of cases, costs of the scope additions came back higher than expected, but we never felt like we were being taken advantage of - it was just a matter of the actual costs being higher than what we expected based on initial verbal discussions. 

Another positive aspect was Danny's willingness to provide his opinion (or say he didn't have one), if we asked him a design question. In a couple of cases where Danny had strong feelings about a particular design plan that we hadn't yet implemented, he volunteered his opinion. A couple of those recommendations proved to be very beneficial. Danny was also helpful in steering us toward products (e.g. doors & handles) where had no knowledge of what to order or specify. He recommendations were generally for high quality at a good price with a proven vendor.

Danny was also very skilled in managing interactions with inspectors. His good people and communication skills are very valuable in those aspects. He handled many behind-the-scenes aspects of the project without us having to worry about them. 

The only "problem" we had with the project was overall schedule. The project was supposed to take 4-5 months, but wound up taking much longer. One factor was the long-distance/remote nature of the project. Our general inexperience in remodeling/construction and our lack of availability when certain decisions needed to be made also played a role. Another factor was availability of subcontractors or crews. The project was done during a period of peak demand for good GCs and subs; one of the unpleasant learnings we had as clients was that project schedule was more dependent on subcontractor availability than anything else and that GCs have little to no control over that aspect. Even with his own staff, our project was competing with other commitments, so a delay on our end with a decision sometimes translated into subs or his own staff no longer being available. For quality and cost reasons, it appeared that Danny uses only certain subs, so if a key one is not available when the project is at the "ready" stage, it can be a problem. 

Good news conversations are easy to have; you find out about your GC and he finds out about you when you have to discuss bad news (such as ugly discoveries about the home's infrastructure that only become evident during demo or a schedule delay, etc). We found that we could have these difficult discussions in an open and respectful manner with no finger pointing or acrimony. 

His staff that we interacted with were very professional and polite and clearly had good chemistry when they were working together. He has very experienced staff who like working for someone with a focus on quality and doing things right. 

In the end, the overall result was outstanding in terms of how the remodel itself turned out. Danny lived up to his high marks on Angie's list. We have received many compliments about the remodel, including from subs who have worked on various aspects of it and know what they're looking at when they see the work of others on the project. After we moved into the home, if a problem popped up, Danny was very quick to respond and fix it. 

On the payment and financing side, everything went smoothly - Danny was easy to work with and very fair.


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"GS ArcDesign has had the privilege of working with New Beginning Engineering for many years, successfully completing over 15 projects together, with more projects currently in progress. Throughout this collaboration, I have consistently experienced the highest level of professionalism, reliability, and technical expertise from their team. Their services—including structural design, structural calculations, energy compliance (Title-24), and MEP engineering—have been integral to both residential and commercial projects, particularly those involving legalization and permitting. Each project has been handled with thoroughness, precision, and a commitment to excellence. As an architectural firm, we rely heavily on engineering partners who are not only skilled but also dependable and trustworthy. New Beginning Engineering has consistently met and exceeded those expectations, making them one of our most valued collaborators. I hold a very positive impression of New Beginning Engineering and confidently recommend their services to anyone seeking competent, reliable, and professional engineering support."

"We did a full remodel of our place, full new kitchen, and expanded our place into the backyard for a new master suite. Pac Sands did a really great job with our designs. Great tools that made the communication easy with the plans and changes we needed. And they handled the engineering and permitting too, which was great. Highly recommend."

"After meeting with several contractors, I met Ryan and instinctually knew he was the right choice. In fact it was the best decision. I purchased a place that needed a remodel badly. We had a limited time and budget to do everything. Not only did he and his team finish on time and budget, the remodel turned out even more beautiful than I imagined. Ryan and his team realized an even better version of my vision. He was a great collaborator, figuring out how and enhancing my ideas and always mindful of the cost. I will work with Ryan and his team again. I highly recommend him."

"TLDR: Kent is a talented artist who has mastered i. the fine line in landscaping between aesthetics and practical use and ii. the rare and valuable business skill of being customer-centric. We had a big job with his team and we were so happy with the end result and the relationship we built along the way that I promised Kent a review that came from the heart - it's a bit long but here it goes. My first impression of Kent was of an artist and a very-talented one at that - bringing vision and experience to the table. My family had just bought a new house in the perfect canyon lot we always wanted, but the house needed some TLC. We wanted to transform our front and backyard into something that corresponded to our dream backyard for the next 10-20 years for our kids to grow up and enjoy in. Although we had some idea of what we wanted, we were certainly not landscaping experts and several of our ideas were quite rough around the edges. We needed someone who was flexible to our vision but could help us connect the dots on how to get there taking into account practical application and aesthetics. Kent did just that. His first time over he spent time aligning with us on our vision and he professionally called out some of the flaws in our thinking. We recognized a lot of what he said made sense and started to mold our vision around some of those insights. To solidify the idea, he brought out his sketch book and literally drew his vision for our backyard in two sketches (sounds corny, but frankly - it showed his artistry excellence and care for the customer). Once that was done and we aligned on the game plan - Kent and his team started immediately within the next 2-3 days. It was quite a thing to watch his team of 10-20 employees at any given day tear ad rebuild my backyard within 2-3 weeks. At a high-level, Kent's scope of work was as follows: - demo'd old concrete/pavers and re-poured new colored concrete - demo'd old patio cover and installed a giant alumawood patio cover - moved a ton of dirt around with an excavator to re-level the area behind our backyard - re-did drainage to stop water from pooling/staining concrete (as it was before) - removed several trees and ground the stumps (some over 70 ft tall!) - installed new queen and multi-trunked king palms - installed planters with low-maintenance plants (succulents, ice plants, etc) and new stations for the automated drip system - Built our barrel sauna for us and ran new 220V electrical line - installed a section of artificial sod that looked gorgeous As you can imagine from the size of the project, there were some snags that happened along the way: an accidental broken window, a structural issue with the patio cover, concrete discoloration due to the wildly rainy season we had in March-April, among some other minor items. However, what impressed me the most is how if you give Kent and team the chance to fix it, they WILL fix it. Although discussions on such snags and remedying it are never usually straight-forward, in the end what really mattered to me is that Kent showed the ownership to set us - as his customers up for success - owned up to those snags being his responsibility and remedied it with professionalism and always remaining customer-centric. I appreciate Kent and his son - Kacen - very much and very much plan to work with them on future projects in the near future."

Will create your dream outdoor living space, So you can enjoy being outside your home with friends and family. What ever you want to build or create or change we can help. We have been doing landscape over 25 years. We are licensed as well.

With over two decades of experience, we provide structural engineering services for residential and commercial projects throughout California. We specialize in timber, steel, concrete, and CMU structural design for public and private sector developments. Our approach focuses on safety, constructability, cost efficiency, and full code compliance.\nOur experience includes shopping centers, office buildings, retail spaces, tenant improvements, industrial facilities, new homes, additions, remodels, ADUs, retaining walls, foundation systems, seismic retrofits, and structural upgrades. We work closely with owners, architects, contractors, and local agencies to deliver practical engineering solutions with fast turnaround times and reliable support from design through permitting and construction. Customer satisfaction, clear communication, and dependable service are the foundation of our business. Contact us today to discuss your project.

"They installed a turf dog run.? It is dog approved and looks great.? To provide a finished look they applied a stone facing to an unfinished portion of a solid barrier (fence) and did a great job matching color.? The smaller size of this non traditional job were no doubt responsible for scheduling in terms of getting job finished as it took about 10 days from start to finish but overall we could not be happier."

Martinez L&R Excavating is your trusted partner for all your landscaping needs in San Diego. With our expertise and attention to detail, we deliver exceptional results that set us apart from the competition. Contact us today for a seamless and professional experience!