Bertram Builders LLC is a locally owned, Santa Cruz county based general building contractor that specializes in residential construction and framing. We are a team of hardworkers who take pride in quality and honesty. From full-on interior remodels and ground-up construction, to decks, bathroom remodels and ADU's we strive to do the right thing and make your home dreams a reality.
Bertram Builders LLC is a locally owned, Santa Cruz county based general building contractor that specializes in residential construction and framing. We are a team of hardworkers who take pride in quality and honesty. From full-on interior remodels and ground-up construction, to decks, bathroom remodels and ADU's we strive to do the right thing and make your home dreams a reality.
We pride our company on reliability, great communication,and quality work. We are experts in our trade and will do our best to keep you as educated as we can on your particular task or project. We look forward to earning your business! Book with us online or feel free to give us a call today! 8am - 4pm Saturday
"Abel was very professional and he did a fantastic job on our fence. I would definitely recommend and hire him for future projects."
ROBERT W on July 2024
We pride our company on reliability, great communication,and quality work. We are experts in our trade and will do our best to keep you as educated as we can on your particular task or project. We look forward to earning your business! Book with us online or feel free to give us a call today! 8am - 4pm Saturday
"Abel was very professional and he did a fantastic job on our fence. I would definitely recommend and hire him for future projects."
ROBERT W on July 2024
Our company is committed to excellence in every aspect of our business. We uphold a standard of integrity bound by fairness, honesty, and personal responsibility. Our distinction is the quality of service we bring to our customers. Accurate knowledge of our trade combined with ability is what makes us true professionals. Above all, we are watchful of our customers interests and make their concerns the basis of our business. Please give us a call today!
"Ken and his crew built me 2 beautiful bamboo decks. One large and one small. They also replaced all the plywood and siding on the back of my house. Our upper deck, which is the larger one has a water drainage system so we can have a living space underneath. The lower deck, which is the smaller one is flanked by concrete planter boxes and looks awesome! Despite last winters heavy storms, they got the job done quickly and efficiently."
jeremy h on December 2024
Our company is committed to excellence in every aspect of our business. We uphold a standard of integrity bound by fairness, honesty, and personal responsibility. Our distinction is the quality of service we bring to our customers. Accurate knowledge of our trade combined with ability is what makes us true professionals. Above all, we are watchful of our customers interests and make their concerns the basis of our business. Please give us a call today!
"Ken and his crew built me 2 beautiful bamboo decks. One large and one small. They also replaced all the plywood and siding on the back of my house. Our upper deck, which is the larger one has a water drainage system so we can have a living space underneath. The lower deck, which is the smaller one is flanked by concrete planter boxes and looks awesome! Despite last winters heavy storms, they got the job done quickly and efficiently."
jeremy h on December 2024
We focus and try to pay complete attention to detail. Our biggest priority is helping homeowners focus on what they want. We are pretty local, and our expertise is what makes people choose us. Give us a call directly, we would love to work with you!
"He is very responsible."
Veronica L on August 2018
We focus and try to pay complete attention to detail. Our biggest priority is helping homeowners focus on what they want. We are pretty local, and our expertise is what makes people choose us. Give us a call directly, we would love to work with you!
"He is very responsible."
Veronica L on August 2018
We are a locally owned and operated company that values honesty and integrity, and treats your home as if it were our own. We offer a variety of services that are customizable to each individual project. You will find us to be competitively priced, paying close attention to the details of each and every project that we are involved with. We look forward to building lasting relationships, and guarantee your satisfaction!
"Fast response and clear communication throughout the process."
Marco T on April 2025
We are a locally owned and operated company that values honesty and integrity, and treats your home as if it were our own. We offer a variety of services that are customizable to each individual project. You will find us to be competitively priced, paying close attention to the details of each and every project that we are involved with. We look forward to building lasting relationships, and guarantee your satisfaction!
"Fast response and clear communication throughout the process."
Marco T on April 2025
We take great pride in our experience, expertise, quality, and customer service that we provide to meet the consumers needs. It is our mission to provide excellent workmanship and complete customer satisfaction from start to completion of a project. In order to understand the needs and expectations of our customers, we take great care to work and communicate with every customer in a professional manner. Our reputation is based on service, safety, and quality, regardless of how large or small the job.
We take great pride in our experience, expertise, quality, and customer service that we provide to meet the consumers needs. It is our mission to provide excellent workmanship and complete customer satisfaction from start to completion of a project. In order to understand the needs and expectations of our customers, we take great care to work and communicate with every customer in a professional manner. Our reputation is based on service, safety, and quality, regardless of how large or small the job.
ABOVEBOARD CONSTRUCTION INC. offers comprehensive residential construction services, from foundation to completion. With over two decades of experience, we’ve successfully built new homes, additions, remodels, fences, and decking in Santa Cruz County and Los Gatos. Our skilled team prioritizes meticulous attention to detail and craftsmanship, ensuring exceptional construction. Whether you’re building a new home, constructing an ADU, renovating your existing home, or renovating your kitchen, bathroom, or any other space including catios. With your vision in mind we’ll guide you through the process. Call us for a complimentary quote, consultation, or to learn more about our services. (831) 566-7371
"We couldn't be happier with the deck that Randy Solomon from Aboveboard Construction built for us. From start to finish, the project was handled with professionalism, attention to detail, and real craftsmanship. The final result exceeded my expectations — it's solid, beautifully finished, and has completely transformed my outdoor space. What really stood out was the care and pride Randy took in his work. He was communicative throughout the process, offered great design suggestions, and made sure everything was done right — no shortcuts. It’s clear he genuinely cares about the quality of what he builds. If you're looking for someone who’s reliable, hardworking, and talented, I recommend Randy and Aboveboard Construction wholeheartedly! "
Marianne T on June 2025
ABOVEBOARD CONSTRUCTION INC. offers comprehensive residential construction services, from foundation to completion. With over two decades of experience, we’ve successfully built new homes, additions, remodels, fences, and decking in Santa Cruz County and Los Gatos. Our skilled team prioritizes meticulous attention to detail and craftsmanship, ensuring exceptional construction. Whether you’re building a new home, constructing an ADU, renovating your existing home, or renovating your kitchen, bathroom, or any other space including catios. With your vision in mind we’ll guide you through the process. Call us for a complimentary quote, consultation, or to learn more about our services. (831) 566-7371
"We couldn't be happier with the deck that Randy Solomon from Aboveboard Construction built for us. From start to finish, the project was handled with professionalism, attention to detail, and real craftsmanship. The final result exceeded my expectations — it's solid, beautifully finished, and has completely transformed my outdoor space. What really stood out was the care and pride Randy took in his work. He was communicative throughout the process, offered great design suggestions, and made sure everything was done right — no shortcuts. It’s clear he genuinely cares about the quality of what he builds. If you're looking for someone who’s reliable, hardworking, and talented, I recommend Randy and Aboveboard Construction wholeheartedly! "
Marianne T on June 2025
Were a locally owned and operated company that values honesty and integrity and treats your home as if it were our own. Our services are customized to the individual project, paying close attention to the details of each project that we're involved with. We pride ourselves on the quality of our work as well as our commitment to outstanding results. We look forward to building lasting relationships and guaranteeing your satisfaction!
"Very responsive. Completed the work in one day. Initial estimate was for two days."
Mark W on April 2020
Were a locally owned and operated company that values honesty and integrity and treats your home as if it were our own. Our services are customized to the individual project, paying close attention to the details of each project that we're involved with. We pride ourselves on the quality of our work as well as our commitment to outstanding results. We look forward to building lasting relationships and guaranteeing your satisfaction!
"Very responsive. Completed the work in one day. Initial estimate was for two days."
Mark W on April 2020
We take great pride in our experience, expertise, quality, and customer service that we provide to meet the consumers needs. It is our mission to provide excellent workmanship and complete customer satisfaction from start to completion of a project. In order to understand the needs and expectations of our customers, we take great care to work and communicate with every customer in a professional manner. Our reputation is based on service, safety, and quality, regardless of how large or small the job. Over 10 years experience in the Contracting Industry. Fully licensed and Insured. Family owned and operated business.
"Our goal was to build a structurally safe garage storage loft. Juan and Julian were a great team to work with. They were very professional and organized- they gave us a quote and clearly communicated what the plan would look like from beginning to end. They guided us on the items that we needed to buy prior to starting the work in order to complete the project within the estimated time. They suggested modifications that were minor fixes but made the layout make more sense in terms of placement. Their crew finished a day ahead of schedule. They kept a clean work site and the quality of the results were great. I would gladly work with them on another home project in the future!"
Anthony G on April 2025
We take great pride in our experience, expertise, quality, and customer service that we provide to meet the consumers needs. It is our mission to provide excellent workmanship and complete customer satisfaction from start to completion of a project. In order to understand the needs and expectations of our customers, we take great care to work and communicate with every customer in a professional manner. Our reputation is based on service, safety, and quality, regardless of how large or small the job. Over 10 years experience in the Contracting Industry. Fully licensed and Insured. Family owned and operated business.
"Our goal was to build a structurally safe garage storage loft. Juan and Julian were a great team to work with. They were very professional and organized- they gave us a quote and clearly communicated what the plan would look like from beginning to end. They guided us on the items that we needed to buy prior to starting the work in order to complete the project within the estimated time. They suggested modifications that were minor fixes but made the layout make more sense in terms of placement. Their crew finished a day ahead of schedule. They kept a clean work site and the quality of the results were great. I would gladly work with them on another home project in the future!"
Anthony G on April 2025
Hi, my name is Larry Murphy, and I'm the owner of Lakota Design Group. We've been designing and installing custom landscape projects in the Bay Area for the past 50 years. During those years we've designed and built everything you can imagine and completed over 5,000 projects. We've also worked for some of the most influential people in Silicon Valley, including executives from Apple, Yahoo & the San Francisco 49ers. From both design & construction viewpoints, we know what works and what doesn't, what looks good & what doesn't. We'll work with you using our custom 3d design process to create your dream landscape design. Then, using your new landscape design, we'll get bids for you from our list of vetted contractors. If you then choose to use one of our contractors for your installation, your design is free since our contractors pay us for it. They also pay us to manage your project, so you don't have to. You can check us out at https://www.lakotadesigngroup.com. We'd love to work with you!
"Punctual. Informative. Friendly. Good work, excellent completion. Pleasing sight."
jan f on September 2024
Hi, my name is Larry Murphy, and I'm the owner of Lakota Design Group. We've been designing and installing custom landscape projects in the Bay Area for the past 50 years. During those years we've designed and built everything you can imagine and completed over 5,000 projects. We've also worked for some of the most influential people in Silicon Valley, including executives from Apple, Yahoo & the San Francisco 49ers. From both design & construction viewpoints, we know what works and what doesn't, what looks good & what doesn't. We'll work with you using our custom 3d design process to create your dream landscape design. Then, using your new landscape design, we'll get bids for you from our list of vetted contractors. If you then choose to use one of our contractors for your installation, your design is free since our contractors pay us for it. They also pay us to manage your project, so you don't have to. You can check us out at https://www.lakotadesigngroup.com. We'd love to work with you!
"Punctual. Informative. Friendly. Good work, excellent completion. Pleasing sight."
jan f on September 2024
A general contractor oversees a project from start to completion. They create the project’s timeline and schedule, hire, manage, and pay subcontractors and workers, and purchase and deliver building materials and supplies. They’ll also acquire necessary permits and HOA approvals, plan and execute necessary project changes, and make sure work meets quality standards.
Hiring an independent general contractor costs between 10% and 20% of your overall project cost, with larger projects incurring fees up to 25%. This fee covers complete project oversight, scheduling, and subcontractor management. The fee ranges from a few hundred dollars to tens of thousands of dollars, reflecting the full scope of the planned work and ensuring seamless coordination throughout the construction process.
General contractors typically provide estimates at no charge, but some may charge a small fee, especially for more complex projects. It's important to secure a written estimate, as it establishes a transparent agreement on project scope, labor, materials, and any additional fees. This helps protect you against unforeseen expenses and ensures clarity before the work begins.
When hiring a general contractor, you must provide an upfront deposit that ranges from 10% to 20% of your overall project cost. This deposit secures material orders, labor scheduling, and initial project preparations. An upfront deposit exceeding 50% is a clear warning sign and should prompt thorough contract verification before proceeding.