De Sisto Construction Inc.

We hired De Sisto Construction for a raised foundation addition of about 330 sq ft of master bedroom, bath, and closet. We also had some work done in our kitchen which consisted of replacing some tile with hard wood flooring and installing a peninsula.
Did we have any issues? Foundation, footing, framing, roofing, dry walling, painting, tiling, electrical, and plumbing all went without a hitch.
Flooring — we have hardwood in the addition and had some challenges because the hardwood in the rest of the house is a size that isn’t made these days. No biggie, we went with a slightly narrower slat (2″ wide instead of 2 ½″). The installer let the slats sit for a couple of weeks and then installed and stained the floor. The floor color was supposed to match the rest of the house but it was too light. We told David and he thought that as they added clear they would add a tint to bring the color to the rest of the house. That was not the case. I wish David would have come out to see the floor earlier (he came after the 3^rd coat of clear). When David saw the flooring he saw right away that it didn’t match. Note: the floor looked beautiful, and the craftsmanship was really great, but the color was off. The floor guy (who we really like) came out and tried to talk my wife into fading the stain across the doorway so the transition is less noticeable, but we said no. David backed us up on that. The floor people came back, re-​sanded, re-​stained, and re-​finished the floor. It looks great now. I only bring this up because the total process took about 6 weeks. Note that we had the same guy install some hardwood flooring just outside our kitchen, and that went in without a hitch. Looks great and the color matches well.
Were we happy with quality of work and materials? Yes, very much so. I think if there’s an earthquake in the middle of the night, my wife and I will be in the safest room in the house. Our bathroom vanity and kitchen peninsula are really nice, made by this guy Benito. We never had a major issue with our inspections, which is a plus. Painting, fit and finish, and even the floor, are great. Note that the inspector was familiar with David and the work they do and mentioned that there is rarely and issue with their work.
Were there issues with changes or surprises? We learned our water heater was built in 1983 and decided to replace it with a tankless system. We’re happy with that choice. We made some minor changes during the process, such as upgrading our electrical panel to 200 amps, adding a 50 amp panel in the garage, as well as a 220V plug for my Chevy Volt fast charger, all at my request. The DeSisto’s let us know what the increase would be on each of these changes. We had a major change when we decided not to re-​locate some walls in the house. The material was already purchased, so we made some on the fly decision to move some beams up, above the ceiling and made the cement landing outside the master bedroom larger (we used cement that would have been used in the footing). No issues with any of these changes.
Was David on-​site daily? During the hectic early days, yes, he would show up early and make sure the team knew what to do. He’s worked with the same crew for years now and they know he likes things done correctly and well. Later on, when things settled down, such as painting, he’d show up on the first day to make sure everyone knew what to do and he’d show up at the end to make sure it was done correctly. He’s got a great eye for detail.
Was David prompt at returning calls and resolving issues? Return calls, yes. Resolving issues, yes, with the exception of the floor previously mentioned.
Would we recommend them to others? Yes. We’ve worked with other contractors before and think the DeSisto’s are the best we’ve worked with so far. The crews they use have been with them for several years, David has a great eye for detail and will make sure things are done right, and they come in at what they bid for the work they bid (we added scope to the project, which added cost). Our cousin was having issues with her electrician, so we recommended the one David uses and she was very happy with his work. Turns out she also used Benito for her cabinets which turned out great.

Just call them when you need any construction work. It is so comfortable knowing there is a construction company which will do the job and not over charge you.
They are neat and professional.

We were not looking forward to renovating the house we bought in the LBC. Being new to the area, we didn’t have any contractor contacts, except for a recommendation through family. We passed on the family contact and went with DeSisto because of their glowing reviews on Unilocal and after meeting Denise, the co-​owner, we felt comfortable they would be the right fit for us. Not to mention, their price point was fair.
DeSisto Construction took away the nightmare that most people expect when renovating a home. Our expected turnaround was tight, and they met/​exceeded all expectations. This includes gutting and renovating two bathrooms, opening up the living room, new lighting, electrical. All of their service guys were professional and nothing short of amazing. The only issue we had was plumbing but that was because he was an outside hire and not through DeSisto. Our bad. :(
David, the owner, was around every step of the way, in person, through phone calls and text. His sons are great too! Everybody has such strong work ethic and are skilled at what they do. We might be considered a small job in the scale they usually work, but they still gave us the attention needed.
We were very fortunate to have used DeSisto for our new home and will use them again in the future!

I needed concrete and brick work done on the front part of my property and I did some research for contractors searching the web for reviews. After that, I got 4 proposals and all came in at a very similar cost. I decided to use De Sisto Construction because of the reviews on Unilocal and the proposal I received. I made a good choice.
Jose, the job foreman, came to the property to get measurements for the job to get a proposal and was on time. Once I notified the company that I wanted to use their services, they scheduled the job to start within one week. On the first day of the job when the demolition of the old concrete began, David De Sisto, the owner, was there with the crew to go over the plan for the work and was very knowledgeable and helpful as I explained exactly what I wanted done. I had a plot plan for the work for the crew to use. I had a drainage problem, but they had a plan to take care of it, but let me decide if I wanted to incur the extra costs before they did anything. I agreed to the extra costs as I needed the drainage for the job to be done right.
Once the work began, they got right to it. As the work progressed and a couple issues came up, I discussed it with Jose, who was very helpful and I was able to decide what needed to be done. The crew worked 5 days straight and showed up early every morning and worked all day. After the work was completed, they cleaned up the site. David came by every day to review the work and after the end of the job suggested that I needed some extra brick work to give it more of a ‘finished’ look. They did the work exactly as I wanted but my design needed something more. After I decided what I wanted, David had a worker come out to my house to do the extra brick work. I also had some extra brick added to my original plan because of some other issues. David didn’t charge me for the extra brick work. Now, that’s service!
I have received many compliments on the work from neighbors and people just walking past the property. I highly recommend De Sisto Construction.

When we needed to find a contractor to build our frozen yogurt store, we looked to Unilocal to see if we could find someone. We scheduled an appointment with the President and soon after meeting him had a gut feeling that they had the experience and capability to handle the job. More importantly, he left me believing that he would work very hard to complete the project within my budget and timeline.
DeSisto Construction is a small construction company but the principals have decades of experience working and managing larger construction companies. Their experience shows in the quality and professionalism of their work. Our commercial TI project had its challenges but David and Denise DeSisto overcame everyone of them and made them all look easy. If you want to hire a contractor that is professional yet flexible and easy to work with, look no further.
The proof of the quality of their work is in my store. Their work speaks for itself. The character and integrity of the company comes from satisfied clients that turn into friends that will testify to their experiences. I am pleased to be one of those people.

I met with David today, and I know he is an old school trust worthy guy. He is a contractor that appreciates quality from his team and expects greatness. He mentioned multiple times, the goal is to make the customer happy and do the best work possible. His guys on the job were clean and efficient. David runs a great crew and im looking forward to working with them.

I found DeSisto Construction on Unilocal.I contacted about 8 contractors from Unilocal and Craigslist, and this company was one of only three that actually got back to me. I was looking for someone to do some tenant improvements in my retail store in Long Beach, even though I’m located in Phoenix, so I needed to do this build out long distance.
I spoke with David, the owner, several times throughout the process. He was super patient and even helped me find an architect and electrician. In the end, my project was done on time and on budget. He event sent me photos every morning of the construction process. That was going above and beyond, and it was greatly appreciated!
He gave free advice throughout the project and continued to follow up even when his part when completed. I was impressed with his attention, even though my project was considered small to his firm. I would highly recommend their services!

I would recommend De Sisto Construction to anyone. I have watched their work here in long beach and Lakewood country club and village for several years. What great work they did on all the homes. When a project came up on my home I hired them. I’m impressed how nice they are, follow up and overall professionalism. Something you don’t see often in construction. I saw someway write they are the Holmes of LAo g Beach, I agree.

I was looking to do an exterior face lift for our house. First place I thought to look was Unilocal since I’ve always been able to get great referrals. De Sisto Construction received some great reviews so I gave them a call. I spoke with Denise, who seem very pleasant, and made an appointment. I explained to Denise that both my husband and I work so I would prefer a weekend appointment if she’s available. We settled on the Saturday after. An hour before the scheduled appointment, she called to cancel. No apology for the last minute cancellation, just that she’s busy because she works Monday thru Friday and weekends are the only time she has to take care of personal business. I don’t mean to state the obvious here, but that’s the unfortunately sad fact for those of us that have to work weekdays… weekends are the only days we have to take care personal business. Which was the reason for the appointment (2 weeks out). If you don’t do weekend appointment, then don’t make one and then cancel last minute. I left Denise a message and of course never received a return call.

I was not looking forward to having work done on one of the properties I was managing. Let’s just say that the experiences that some friends and family members had with their general contractors left less than a favorable impression. Then again, their selections for the contractor were usually based on the lowest bid, but they paid for it dearly with additional time and costs in the end.
However, having met Denise De Sisto during the initial inspection for an estimate put me at ease. Her knowledge and experience gave me comfort that she and her crew were more than capable for the task. In addition, her friendly demeanor reinforced my decision in selecting the right contractor to do the job. I have always been very curious and inquisitive, and Denise was always more than willing to answer any and all of my questions.
If you want someone to do the job right without having to babysit them through the process, then De Sisto Construction is the one, and I write with great enthusiasm in recommending them.

Ever watched Holmes on Homes on HGTV? Well, David is our California equivalent. If he had a show, it would be just as entertaining, if not more so, and might be called De Sisto on Dwellings. He can talk the language of the trade in a manner that makes sense to the customer and doesn’t allow shoddy workmanship.
I have used De Sisto Construction numerous times over the past several years (before Unilocal existed). Most recently, they fixed a job gone south when I hired a different contractor who was cheaper (I learned my lesson: you get what you pay for) to build a new patio cover. The initial result was a disaster — poorly constructed, out of specification and just stupid looking. David came in and saved the day — he actually showed up and supervised the original contractor’s work until it was done correctly.
David De Sisto is not only charismatic, he knows more than 99% of the contractors out there. I learned that he grew up in the trade and has done everything: both commercial and residential. Now, as the President of his own company for the past several years, he uses his knowledge to the benefit of his clients, and he knows that repeat business only occurs from great results. He holds his subs and staff to a standard of excellence that he would expect if he were the one paying for the work.
David inspects what he expects — and does a fantastic job of keeping the client apprised of status. He is on time and within budget. He is polite, easy to talk to and has great ideas What more can you ask for?

We recently completed building brand new architect-​designed custom home with De Sisto Construction, in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA. We had major problems with our first contractor, and they took over early on in the foundation stage of the project. We had 6 months to finish; the house was finished in 5.5 months, and right on budget. They did this by rigourous project management and using high-​caliber subcontractors, maintaining price integrity by competitively bidding all jobs. We also had a full-​time supervisor, a DC employee, who treated the house as ‘his own’ and communicated constantly with the us, David & Denise, and the rest of the De Sisto staff.
Whenever anyone comes to our home now, they are shocked when I tell them that it was built in under 6 months. Our experience is: if you don’t trust a prospective contractor, if you don’t believe they’re honest, then don’t work with them. There is no question in my mind that De Sisto Construction is one of the most honest & competent general contracting companies that you will find.
Any other questions, get our phone number from David or Denise. We’re real, our house is here and you can see it with your own eyes.

The front of my so-​called yard has looked like hell for years, and the local partiers and dog walkers have perhaps rightfully decreed it as a rest stop and dumping grounds for years. I decided to have it enclosed with a wall that would be high enough for the gardeners to step over but too high for dogs, even the ones whose owners wouldn’t be stopped. But I had no idea where to look – everyone was recommending handymen but I wanted someone in the construction business with a license who knew how to pull permits and all that. Finally, my neighbor showed me a pretty nice-​looking ad flier from De Sisto (not one left hanging on your front door). I checked their license online – it was current, with no strikes against them. I also found that they put in sprinkler systems, which would be great because I planned to put in a native plant garden (see my review on Apiana Native Landscaping if you’re looking for a good one). Tomas came out to bid on it and told me exactly how much it would cost (they ask no money down – you pay the whole thing when finished). He immediately knew what I wanted and also knew where the property line markers were – in fact, he seemed quite comfortable with the entire thing. It took him one day to complete it, and he and his capable assistants worked incessantly. He also talked me into a graded wall (in steps) instead of a level one because of the slope of my sidewalk; after thinking about it, I said, fine, and the thing’s gorgeous. He left in drainage holes and did other details. The sprinkler system works great – he came in for a couple of hours the next day to install the operative system for it. By the way, as you may know, it’s not uncommon to have a worker forget to do something, and you notice it after paying the bill. In this case, they forgot to remove the old spigot from the old sprinkler system, and I called. I figured, that was that, but two days later, it was gone – he’d removed it. That was the capping brick in the wall– literally!