RTC Services

Richard and his team are the BEST! I will use them for all of my IKEA install projects.
I had IKEA design team plan out my kitchen. I was considering having IKEA do install but their timeframe was 8 weeks! I called Richard and he could do the install much sooner (and was also more affordable then IKEA’s quote!). His team did an amazing job and walked me through what they were going to do before the process. Richard was super responsive, punctual, no haggling, etc. Old school, truly great service.
In addition, Richard saved me hundreds of dollars in extra IKEA panels etc that I didn’t need. He left it all neatly out for me and it was easy to return. All of the savings he gave me allowed me to get a new fridge!
Lastly, Richard came back for minor adjustments and touch ups at no cost. Some of the issues were caused by other contractors and he fixed them anyways.
Definitely the best service and professionalism I have seen in a long time.

Richard and his crew are the ULTIMATE in professionalism and service!!!
We had a complex IKEA install that required a couple of return visits and they were VERY accommodating to our needs. And, when we needed assistance for a PAX system install, they were extra accommodating to help us during a visit to the Desert for another customer’s install.
If you are considering an IKEA install, USE RTC SERVICES!!! There are so many parts and variables with the kitchens … these guys know their stuff and will save you HUNDREDS of hours installing your kitchen. And, they did some «on the fly» corrections to the original design and parts that made our kitchen SO much better!
5 Stars PLUS for RTC for their services!!!
Thank you Richard et. al!!!

Richard is a marriage saver! I am so thankful we did not tackle our IKEA kitchen install and hired a pro. His services are in high demand so I would recommend you contact him a month before install. Unfortunately we had a cupboard sizing mix up but he took the time to detail exactly what I needed to order from IKEA and he returned a month later when I had all the supplies. Save yourself a headache and budget for an installer.

Richard just finished my kitchen today. He and his crew made a couple of trips because a few of my cabinets were out of stock after the IKEA sale. I am beyond thrilled with their work. His company is awesome and they have the best customer service that I’ve ever experienced. I would use them again in a heartbeat.

Overall good experience with Richard and his team. He made several suggestions and improvements to our kitchen design that really helped in terms of storage and look. They were efficient, fairly clean, and on time. He is also priced well, and did extra work without asking for more money.

I can’t say enough good things about the job Richard and his crew did on our recent kitchen remodel. Even the countertop crew and other contractors remarked on how precisely our cabinet installation was. These guys are pros. Don’t let anyone tell you IKEA kitchen installation is a «do it yourself» project — it is not! There are a thousand different pieces! Oh, and mis-​order something? If the packaging is missing or disturbed, they won’t take it back, so don’t go ripping into anything yourself. But don’t worry, because Richard and his team know all of this and made sure we were covered when our designer forgot something or mis-​measured. This is a family business that takes pride in their work. Plus they are people you feel comfortable having in your home. They showed up when they said and exceeded expectations.

Actually — so much better than I even expected. These are some of the words that best describe them: reliable, flexible (willing to come back if need be), proactive, patient with IKEA not delivering and making up for their late deliveries, extremely knowledgeable: Richard looks at a piece (the same way my boys know their lego pieces) and determines on the spot if it is needed, can be returned and what exactly is needed to make it work in style. Recently remodelled and dealt with 8+ different contractors — none of them would get 5 stars from me — except Richard. The price was a lot less than what IKEA offered and you get the personal touch and a one-​stop-​shop with it. Hands down: best contractor I have ever worked with. Love his attention to detail, his willingness to collaborate with other contractors (incl. after hours phone calls with them) and his integrity. 10 stars from us! Only downside: word gets around how good these guys are — count on an initial 2 week wait time — but well worth the wait (especially considering that IKEA makes you wait 2+ months).

My wife and I did a complete remodel of our beach community «fixer-​up» home. We initially worked with an independent Ikea kitchen designer (Rodney) are were super pleased with the new layout as it saved us a lot of headaches.
When I asked for referrals for an installer I was only provided with one: Richard C., the original installer for all Ikea kitchens coming out of the Southern California stores. Richard, his son Michael, and the crew are consummate professionals. They’re fast, clean and clear in their communications which makes for very easy alignment of expectations. On site, Michael was able to answer all my questions, provide guidance on next steps and various considerations, and his crew even went above and beyond by helping me nudge a couple of appliances into place.
My home remodel project ran long. The original kitchen cabinets and framework were installed to allow us to then have the sinks, countertops, backsplash, etc. installed. RTC Services was clear as to what point they should be called back to complete the cabinet trims, handles, plinth, etc. Along the way I had questions on mounting the apron sink and the valence for the under cabinet lighting. Richard and Michael were more than willing to take my call and help answer my questions with their professional experience. When I scheduled Michael and crew back for the final install, they picked up right from where they left off and knocked out the rest of the kitchen seamlessly.

Mike and his crew were on time and even called to confirm his appointment that morning. Well, with a ton of IKEA boxes in my basement the crew quickly made sense of all the parts and within minutes the semblance of a kitchen was forming. Mike and I made a decision to cut down some base cabinets in order to maximize floorspace… we both we’re confident w/​the vision of what we wanted and with his experience it came out to perfection. I’d defo recommend him to anyone… as a matter of fact I received his recommendation from two other friends and they were right, «he’s awesome». Scope out the picts… I’ll post some more after the custom countertop is complete.

RTC were great and very professional. Richard and Mike are super detailed and take real pride in their work. I’d recommend them over and over! Very happy with the results.

We were going to try installing this kitchen ourselves, but thought better of it once we had the cabinets and started looking at the complexity of the project. Good choice!
RTC came in and installed our kitchen in a fraction of the time we would have, and it looks like they built the place around it! We were very happy with the work, the guys installing the cabinets (Richard’s son and a helper) and would have no problem using them again (in a flash).
The price was reasonable and work excellent. Thanks RTC!

I found Richard here on Unilocal and couldn’t be happier with the work he did for us. When he first came over to look at our kitchen after the demo, it was clear that he was very experienced with the IKEA system. He made a couple of helpful suggestions that helped us maximize the space in our tiny kitchen.
Richard is a professional who will come through for you even in tough circumstances. In the week that our kitchen was to be installed, a vital member of Richard’s crew incurred an injury, which resulted in Richard having to take on extra work to stay on schedule. He and his crew came out on a Sunday so we would not have to deal with any delays that would affect the rest of the work we were doing.
We also had some unusual electrical/​lighting requests and Richard was again very helpful and patient as we sorted that out. He has a fine eye for detail and the quality of the work he and his crew performed is a testament to that.
For the money they charge, you don’t want to do this on your own. Highly recommended.
As an aside: I recommend that you discuss handle placement with Richard during your first consultation. We had chosen to center all our handles and did not realize that the handles on the wall cabinets would hit the side cover panels of the tall cabinets. On two of our doors we actually ended up using knobs instead of handles because of this. The IKEA kitchen planner is pretty good about flagging potential problems, but this was one thing it did not alert us to.

Going through the process of buying a kitchen from IKEA can be a daunting task. But hiring Richard at RTC was one of the best decisions I made in the process. They came down to my home in San Diego on a rainy Saturday and assembled and installed 24 + IKEA cabinets and an island in one day. The work ethic and quality was fabulous, not to mention the price. I highly recommend RTC and would not hesitate to hire them again.

I tried to deal with Signature Services, but was not impressed. I had to badger them to get a quote after waiting for two weeks. And their quote was much higher than I thought was reasonable.
I then started searching around to see that Signature Services has less than a stellar reputation. That is when I ran across RTC Services. They were quick to respond. I got a quote and the work done in less time than it took to just get the quote from Signature Services. They scheduled a time within a week for the demolition of my kitchen and performed the rebuilt four days later. I needed the time before the rebuild to move outlets and perform other tasks.
RTC did a great job and the price was more than fair. I would highly recommend them again.

These guys were great. I was having a hard time trying to find someone come out to complete work another contractor skipped out on. RTC came in and finished the job under an hour at a reasonable price. Very professional nice guys that did great work. I would highly recommend them

Richard, son Mike and crew are experts when it comes to assembling and installing IKEA cabinets, and all at very reasonable rates. Although they are in Burbank, they traveled down to San Diego and in exactly 8 hours we had a brand new kitchen installed. Asked Richard to include 7 cabinets from our old kitchen to be installed in the garage. They also did that in addition to an entire kitchen with 18 new cabinets. Speed, efficiency and quality work. Their trip fee includes 2 visits, so after your floor patches, countertops etc are in, they will come out for the final touches if it’s more than an hour of work. Even with a trip fee, their rates are still very fair. I have to say, Mike does need you to make up your mind pretty quickly about little decisions here and there, so be prepared or he might bark at you (just kidding). All around great guys!

If you buy anything from Ikea from a desk to an entire kitchen, call RTC Services (Richard and Mike) to build and install!
Professional…check
Reasonable rates… check
Clean and quick… check
and
Really nice guys!
Mike saved our kitchen remodel from turning into a nightmare. I want the guys who are recommended by Ikea to know how ridiculous their quote was. I was blown away by Mike’s work. Our kitchen is ninety years old with crooked walls but that didn’t stop Mike from putting in my cabinets and shelves perfectly. I couldn’t be happier with the job they did. I will definitely use them again. Thanks!

I accidentally stumbled upon RTC after becoming increasingly frustrated with the company Ikea recommends for installation (Sig. Services — if I could give SS zero stars, I would but that is a moot point. Back to what’s important…)
I am beyond happy with the services provided by RTC. They turned what could have been a kitchen nightmare into a dream come true. They showed up on time and ready work; my cabinets were installed in 1 day. And the job was done very well. I am one happy customer and gladly refer them to anyone needing Ikea cabinet installation services.

These guys truly deserve 5 stars.
First off, a little background. Richard Castanon and his son have been installing IKEA kitchens for something like 14 years! They used to be the main go-​to for IKEA kitchen cabinet installation in the L.A. region until IKEA displaced them in favor of a big contracting company. Word out is that people have not been that happy with Signature Services (the current general contractor signed on). Apparently IKEA has in the past tried to switch over to a big general contractor 3 times already, but ended up re-​signing on RTC all 3 times because the generals just weren’t getting it.
Well, Richard Castanon gets it! He knows IKEA cabinets forwards and backwards and it’s a pretty painless experience having them come install your stuff.
Now, a little background on my kitchen remodel. I did a customized IKEA kitchen. That means my kitchen has IKEA cabinet boxes or frames, but I’ve gone and custom ordered my doors and drawers elsewhere (Semihandmade Doors, if you’re interested). I used to be an interior designer, so I designed a look that I like, I just used IKEA cabinets as the inside skeleton on which everything else hangs.
I had my own end panels made (IKEA does not offer full-​height base panels), and I had a very particular design that I specified for the layout of each panel and cabinet. These guys were able to jive with my design, so that was a huge relief.
I did consider hiring a general contractor to do the work, but I am glad I didn’t. These guys seemed like they could install this stuff in their sleep, so it really saved me a lot of explaining and overseeing.
Other things I was happy about. They were probably the best price I found. I also had to reschedule Richard something like 3 times. He did it easily and didn’t make a fuss. He was easy to reach through email or phone and got back to me same day or next. His son, Michael, was the one who came to install, and he made sure to do everything to my satisfaction.
Completely happy! Good work, good attitude, good price.

My old kitchen was in sorry shape, and probably hadn’t been updated since the Nixon administration. So installing a new kitchen would be a huge undertaking.
I love the IKEA kitchen concept, but the IKEA recommended design team/​contractors were a nightmare. They were impossible to get a hold of and took 3 – 4 days to return a phone call. I was completely irritated and I started looking for alternatives, this is when I found RTC. I was pleased to see they were IKEA Certified. The owner Richard called me back within two hours. And his quote was like ½ the price. HIRED!
His crew leads by Michael were outstanding. I can’t say enough great things about them. They demolished my kitchen quickly and hauled away the rubble. I’m not savy with home repair, and he sketched out where outlets and items needed to be on the wall. This made everything much easier for me when I explained things to electricians and plumbers.
They show up ontime and ready to work. Michael’s three man crew assembled my 17×8 foot galley kitchen in 7 hours. That’s incredible, and they even cleaned up afterwards. The kitchen turned out better than I could have imagined.
IKEA says that you can install it yourself. That’s a lie, measuring and assembling a mountain of IKEA boxes is probably the 4^th circle of hell. Hire these guys, they do amazing work.