Testimonials
WHAT OTHERS SAY ABOUT OUR WORK
“James Lepak and his team at James David Custom Homes did an amazing job on my extensive modern remodel in Newport Beach. They tore my 2,100 square foot house down to the studs, relocated rooms, and built an addition. Even when we hit a snag with the original house because of its age, we found a way to do Plan B. James would come up with alternative ideas through workarounds and design. If he learned I was missing something, he was on it, coming up with solutions. He and his team’s attention to detail and responsiveness was exactly what I needed, since this was my first time remodeling something other than a bathroom. James took my project seriously and was always available if/when I needed him. To top it off, JDCH always left the work site clean. I would definitely recommend them to anyone considering a remodel or rebuild!”
Britt Stenstrom
“We bought a 9600 square foot commercial building in Eastside Costa Mesa a few years ago and were referred to JDCH. We hired them because of their reputation for being highly knowledgeable and doing top-quality work. We didn’t want to waste time, and needed a general contractor who could help design a total redo, get through the city permitting process, who knew what to look out for and how to stay in compliance, and who’d do things right from the start to save time and money!
The building was a total wreck. Built in the 1950s, it had never been updated. Slumlord doctors owned it and never put a penny into it. Nothing was compliant, and it was a health hazard, complete with overgrown trees, roots buckling the driveway and parking lot, totally non-compliant bathrooms, heating and AC issues, etc. We needed to remove and replace doors, windows, rain gutters, parking lot, rain slope drainage, sidewalks, landscaping, lighting, carpet, stucco, paint, appliances, tile, stairs, EA PA wood siding, … In short, it was a TOTAL REDO!
Throughout the renovation, James had many ideas and suggestions. He was a great collaborator and visionary, who led the charge in building an incredible facility. I’m glad I took his advice and worked closely with him.
The finished product is a stunning facility and the best-looking commercial building in Costa Mesa. It’s of the highest quality, inside and out. If you saw the before and after photos, you would not believe it’s the same building! Everyone who comes to this facility comments on how beautiful, classy, and high quality it is—and I mean everyone. We have owned the building for approximately four years and just put it on the market for double what we paid for it!
JDCH has also done multiple jobs at my home, where again their exceptional work immediately improved the look, quality, and value. Any issues were few and far between. If there was a follow-up for any reason—whether for plumbing, lighting, electrical,etc.—James was right there to fix things, with no interruptions.”
“We hired James David Custom Homes to build our home in Newport Beach, CA. Building a home at the time seemed daunting and we had mostly heard only negative things about contractors and the experience overall. Fortunately, we chose James to help us through that process and he not only helped to make it a very exciting experience, but a very rewarding one, too.
James is an experienced contractor who pays attention to detail. He is very knowledgeable about architecture and design and when things aren’t clear to him, he seeks additional information for clarity. He works well with other players of the team and keeps the project moving forward with ease.
When we experienced a problem or issue, James’ foreman was extremely responsive and our issues were resolved quickly and seamlessly, for the most part. Of course we experienced some hurdles along the building process, but nothing that couldn’t be worked through.
One of the strongest reasons we decided to build with James David Custom Homes was because of the quality product we knew we would have at the end of the experience. Our home is stunning. The woodworking requirements were extensive, and the installation and finishing team did an amazing job. Electrical, Plumbing and finishing teams worked seamlessly together to ensure our home was magnificent.
Regarding the timeline on the project, we were about 2 months later than our estimated targets. This was due to circumstances beyond James’ control. His team was on site every single day and worked tirelessly not because of a deadline, but because of their work ethic and commitment to success.
In conclusion, we would recommend this contractor if you’re building a custom home, and especially if you’re in need of much customized woodworking. Great work James!”
“My company used James David Custom Homes to build our home in Corona Del Mar. James staff was super responsive and very solution driven. As with all projects we come across road blocks and the company was great at anticipating many of them and always being prepared with options for our team. Our build speed was amazing and the quality of work was impeccable. I would highly recommend James David Custom Homes for your next build!“
Scott Cohen
“I hired James David Custom Homes 2 years ago to remodel a beach cottage duplex. This was a complex project in that not only was the property we bought extremely run down, my husband and I do not actually live in the state of California. This was a vacation home that we had purchased and was going to oversee the renovations from a distance. I knew prior to removing a single nail that we had to hire someone who was honest, could handle complex situations both with sub-contractors and city officials, as well as be a good communicator to us. In all honestly, there were a lot of hurdles in our project and costs kept escalating, not the fault of JDCH. James’ guys would open walls and find problem after problem after problem and the project very much fell into every renovation cliche you can think of. But through this incredibly stressful process, James kept his cool and talked me off several cliffs and kept the project moving forward to the best of his and his team’s ability. Like any long renovations (ours took roughly 6 months) there were times in-between were JDCH were the last people I wanted to talk to but in any working relationship, you communicate, compromise, and work your way through it and that could not be possible had I not been working with a complete professional who was highly capable of managing a complex renovation.”
Now here is my super glowing review of JDCH. Ten months after my renovation was complete, a handyman discovered a gas leak in the house. The city shut down the main gas line so I could bring in a plumber to find the leak. I called just a random company from Yelp, don’t know why I didn’t think to JDCH first, and they came out there and told me I would be looking at a minimum of $1500 to find the leak and it could be more to fix the leak. I was completed panicked since again I do not live in the state and we had a vacation renter checking into the unit in less than 48 hours. I called James and asked him what I should do and exactly what parts of the home was under warranty. Within 2 hours James had the plumber to the house and several hours later the leak was found and fixed and way after regular working hours, JDCH had the painter come fix the drywall and paint. I checked our door activity online and the painter did not leave the house until 9:30pm. This speaks volumes about this company and the relationships they have with their subs. James acknowledged the leak was very unusual accident but he took care of it all. I will also never forget the words James said to me on the phone when I first called him about the leak, “you should always call me first with any problems on the house because I will get you the right people.” Assuringly, I can write that James kept his word and I have called him at least 2 other times after the project completed with some other issues and he has always taken care of me and our house. JDCH goes above and beyond and we were very fortunate to have worked with such an outstanding team, lead by James Lepak.”
“We contracted with James David Custom Homes to the complete renovation of our 5,000 square foot home in Laguna Niguel. The scope of the project entailed taking the entire interior down to the studs, all new electrical, plumbing, drywall, insulation, cabinetry, flooring, structural steel to create an open floor plan, interior and exterior painting, and new windows and doors. The project took 8-9 months which was the estimated completion time when the contract was signed. James personally supervised the project during the critical stages of demolition, framing, and structural steel and was on the job site daily. He was very accessible at any time I had questions and returned my calls promptly. He was instrumental in saving us significant money through subtle design changes and effective negotiations with his sub-contractors. All the sub-contractors on the job were professional, showed up when scheduled, and their quality of work was excellent. The site supervisor was also on the job daily and he was extremely helpful and responsive in addressing issues as they arose. Now that we are back in our house, the final punch list and walk through was conducted by James and his site supervisor, and every last detail is being addressed promptly by James and his team.
Overall, we could not be more pleased with the quality of their work and the entire project went very smooth given the significant scope of the project. I would highly recommend James David Custom Homes for any size project without reservations.”
“James Lepak of James David Custom homes has been an excellent choice for our remodel in Yorba Linda, CA. We are changing from Spanish Mediterranean to Contemporary. James has over 20 years in the business. His ideas and vision are pretty amazing. Our plans were not perfect and many adjustments needed to be made. He was able to correct the engineering and move forward with the right methods for the addition. James is conscientious and takes each project to heart as if it were his own home. We are anxious to complete our remodel and move into a completely new home by summer of this year.”
John & Vivian Grant
“We initially hired James David Custom Homes to add a first floor bonus room and an upstairs bedroom, bathroom and office to the house we had lived in for 9 years. A couple months into the project we expanded the scope of the work to include a complete remodel of the kitchen and family room including the relocation of windows and installation of a 20 foot La Cantina door system. We lived in the house during the entirety of the project and were pleased with James David Custom Homes efforts to keep dust and noise under control. As the owner of James David Custom Homes, James Lepak was very involved with front end discussion of the design and estimate, onsite regularly during construction and conscientious on the final stage of project wrap up. James takes great pride in his work and has high expectations for his crew and his subcontractors. Months after construction he continues to be responsive and conscientious to any issues or needs related to the project. We love all our new space and remodeled kitchen/family room. James is a good guy and responsive to client questions. We recommend James and James David Custom Homes for your construction and remodel needs.”
“James David Custom Homes was recommended to me by my real estate agent. The house I had purchased required extensive remodelling and I would be living in the house with my two dogs while the work was being done. From the initial estimate to the final walk through each stage was professionally undertaken. The estimate was fair and only fluctuated when I made adjustments or upgrades. James Lepak ran a tight ship, all of the sub-contractors were professional and pleasant to be around. Living on a building site with jack hammering, windows boarded up and dust, dust, dust was stressful but the guys did all they could to keep the dust down with plastic sheeting and always left the job in the afternoons in as clean condition as possible. I am truly delighted with the finished product. The style and quality are really spectacular. Thanks James, you were great!”
“James Lepak and his team at James David Custom Homes were highly recommended to me by a good friend. My home remodel and room addition project in Laguna Beach is slightly different than most construction projects. My wife and I demand a high level of customization with various one of a kind stylized details, and we like to have our personal stamp of approval on most everything. In addition, we needed to create an effective working relationship while currently living across the country in New York during the entire project. After interviewing 10 contractors, I was confident that James and James David Custom Homes had all the qualities and experience to take on our project and manage it effectively. His team accommodated our remote situation by hosting regular Skype meetings, customizing their accounting, and providing cross referencing tools for budget vs. actual analysis. James is also a very creative visionary and tuned in perfectly to our creative process, offering many aesthetic recommendations as well as cost saving solutions. James David Custom Homes does high quality work and I would recommend the team to everyone that wants their job done right!”
“I am pleased to inform you that I hired James Lepak of James David Custom Homes to build my new home at 2321 Holly Lane in Newport Beach. I interviewed several local builders and obtained bids from each of them prior to hiring James David Custom Homes. James was not only one of the most reasonably priced builders that I met with, but also the fastest. All of the other builders I met with quoted approximately 12 months to demolish the existing foundation and build a new 3,100 square foot house.
James started the job on February 1 and completed the construction on September 15 (only 7 and 1/2 months). James and his team were very professional, courteous, and a pleasure to work with throughout the entire process. I will definitely use James again for any construction or remodeling jobs I may have in the future and would highly recommend him to anyone I know.”
“James David Custom Homes did such a wonderful job with my first major reconstruction and was such a pleasure to work with; I have since hired them to complete four more extensive renovations. I have entrusted James David Custom Homes with five high end residences over an 8 year span and will only use James David Custom Homes for future projects. I refer them to everyone I know and again they always do a fantastic job. It’s hard to find an honest, legal construction company that truly cares about quality workmanship and when you do…you found a gem, hang on to it.”
