DeShields Stairs & Custom Woodworks

Chad installed new railings for us and did a beautiful job. He is an exceptionally talented craftsman with a great eye for detail. Easy to work with and reasonable in terms of cost, you really can’t go wrong with him. I highly recommend and will use him again for my next project.

We have a small house in downtown Pleasanton built in the 20s. The back steps weren’t that old but they may as well have been. Poorly constructed, rickety and unsafe. We decided to take the opportunity to build a small deck while we were at it and after checking Unilocal and a few other places, we decided on Chad based on quality of work and price. What I didn’t know is the level of quality that Chad provided. His attention to every minor detail was impressive and the finished product was better than we could have imagined! He was on time, completed the job on time and cleaned up everyday but more importantly he was really easy to work with and was intent on doing a great job for us. A true craftsmen. Thanks Chad! I will be using him for other projects going forward for sure!

We’ve worked with many contractors over the years and through two home renovations and Chad is so far above the rest that 5 stars doesn’t seem enough.
He took our very basic ideas for a new, modern, open plan staircase and understood our vision immediately. He crafted an amazing stunning solution of wood and glass that works so perfectly in the space.
His design knowledge and ideas are amazing but most importantly he sees how to make it work and then implements the solution to the highest standard.
He is a true craftsman and his attention to detail is extraordinary. He handcrafted a beautiful curve which you couldn’t walk past without wanting to run your hands over the perfectly sanded finish.
Chad is extremely reliable, always on time, always let us know what was happening, cleaned up every day and was always so enthusiastic!
It has been an absolute pleasure to work with him on something that is such an important feature in our home. I wish I could convey the joy of walking up and down our beautiful new stairs every day!

When I bought my home in 2011, I loved the open floorplan and location but wasn’t thrilled about many of the interior finishes. One of the big issues I had was with the 1990’s light maple carpeted staircase. The staircase is a key architectural detail in the overall feel of my house and it just wasn’t up to snuff.
So 3 years after moving in, I began researching stair companies to update the staircase. I knew I wanted dark wood treads with white risers and wrought iron balusters but I knew little else about what was involved. To be safe, I got 3 estimates from local «stair» contractors that were highly reviewed on Unilocal.
I got the last estimate from Chad and I am so happy that I did! Chad’s estimate was the most reasonable of the 3 and his estimate used the highest quality materials. For example, Chad uses House of Forgings balusters whereas many of the higher bids were using no-​name locally sourced balusters. Chad was also one of the few contractors that did the work personally.
Chad transformed my staircase in an expert fashion with a can-​do attitude and I am thrilled with the results. My only regret is waiting so long to have hired him. I’d highly recommend him to anyone looking to transform their staircase.

Chad did a great job. professional, quality work. always on time and cleans up after himself. Here’s a bonus — a contractor that does what he says, when he says it :-)
Reasonable price too. We love our new stairs!
Chris and Bernadette

Chad loves what he does, and it definitely shows in his workmanship. We are truly thrilled with our beautiful stairs. He was very reliable, pleasant and professional. Chad is extremely meticulous and thorough. If you want quality wood working — we can certainly attest that Chad is probably the best there is in this domain. We will definitely be calling him again for our other house projects.

Chad is awsome with what he does… working with people, designing stairs, carpentry, oh and great patience. He showed many samples to us before moving foreward. We had a tricky situation with a winder stair case and one side that flaired out and one that was square. On all of this, it was all built in Brazilian cherry, so no room for miss cuts. What Chad left behind for us to enjoy for years was great art work! I enjoy woodworking, but his work was phenominal. We get complements from everyone who has come through to see his work. I have already refered him to multiple neighbors, and they have used him with very happy results. I would recommend him to anyone lookign for stair case work.
Brooks F.

Chad did an outstanding job! Met with us 4 times and many emails before we decided on our railings. Great patience, courtesy and craftsmanship. Do not hesitate to use De Shields.

I hired Chad to build a new fireplace mantel. He did such an amazing job on it I decided to hire him to do all the wood work for my kitchen remodel. He built us a fully custom island that turned out better then I could imagine. He built a some custom cabinets, hung new cabinet door and installed crown molding. He also modified our existing cabinets to fit a new range, sink and fridge. He did that all so well I also had him build a window bench. Chad is honest, reliable and does great work. I plan on using him on all my future projects.
Here are some pictures of my kitchen:
Before:
After:

Detail-​oriented and amazing!
Our stairs were dated, and a disaster to say the least. There was alot of difficult work to be done as we have an incredibly tight return on our staircase. Chad was incredible! He offered suggestions and really listened to what I wanted to ensure that I had a look and style that I could be happy with.
Chad is a truly talented professional with a stylistic approach to woodworking. I am truly thrilled with my stairs!

We had a very difficult situation with a hardwood installation on our house in Pleasant Hill. Chad DeShields had been hired by the flooring contractor to do the wood skirts and moldings along two seven-​step stairways. His carpentry was great and it all fit well.
When the stairs were laid by the original contractor, they suddenly made awful noises. The flooring contractor removed the new hardwood and facing risers from the stairs. Somehow, the stairs had been weakened in the hardwood laying process, and what was quiet, with carpet or without any covering, was now a nightmare. The flooring contractor brought Chad back to diagnose and solve the problem.
Chad tightened up, glued down, screwed in all the stairs. He installed high-​quality facing material for the risers that was cut perfectly so that minimum calking would be needed in the finish work. Chad custom-​created new single-​board stair steps and moldings from materials that matched our hardwood floors. Then his painter did beautiful finish work on the stairs, risers, and skirts. We have the most attractive and quiet stairs imaginable, and Chad was a pleasure to work with every step of the way in terms of scheduling and clean-​up.