Topaz Construction & Development

I had Topaz (will be changed to Van Nuys Improvement) remodel my kitchen/​bathroom floors, 2 bathroom stalls and bedroom closet in Nov. 2014. Since then, they’ve had to come back twice (March and Nov 2015) to make various repairs that included grout that kept cracking in one of the bathrooms because it was improperly done, repaint balcony floor, shower door that came unhinged, etc. Contractor Avi Rubeni asked me to post a Unilocal review. I told him I’d be honest, so here it is.
Major cases in point from the job done in Nov/​Dec 2014:
1. Not covering personal property. Day one: dust was all over my personal hygiene belongings after my bathroom wall was cut as a test. Two weeks into the job, I had to ask to have my carpets covered after I saw the crew go up and down my carpeted stairs. When I asked foreman Shai if I needed to have my bedroom covered, he replied, «No, this plastic curtain will act like a shield and with the bathroom window open, all the dust will go out that way.» Later dust was all over my bed, furniture, carpet and personal belongings. A reputable company should automatically protect personal property and not wait to be told by the client to do so.
2. The tile guy didn’t cover things in addition to shoddy workmanship — chipped the paint off my balcony floor where the tiles fell (since repaired), scruffed up the bathroom floor; uneven tiles on the walls in some areas, grout that cracked months later (since repaired), uneven bathroom stall which resulted in the shower door to be installed unevenly by 1″.
3. When moving my major appliances out of the kitchen, there was insufficient protection below and a huge gouge resulted on my hardwood floor. (Received a discount)
4. Setting priorities. In the middle of remodeling the bathrooms, Shai and Avi looked at other potential jobs to work on in my home. We decided on the closet. However, instead of finishing the bathrooms first, they had the crew delay both bathrooms to start on the closet, which was a major inconvenience for me because I was without a shower for more days than expected. When I asked Shai why this was done, he said he wanted everything to be done at the same time. Really? I needed my shower ASAP and that was clear when the bathrooms were first worked on.
5. Closet shelves. Shoddy workmanship, quality of wood, paint job, ¾″ turned out to be ½″ plywood, overlapped shelves. I received a discount because I wasn’t happy with the closet.
6. Unfulfilled promises. From day one, I was told I’d get an insurance paper with my condo’s address on it and websites to vendors to get their company’s discounts for faucets/​water filter for the kitchen. After repeated reminders and promises to get them from Shai/​Avi, I never got them. I’ve since gotten my water filter from Ferguson’s and had someone else install it.
7. References. When I asked to get references, I was offered a discount on my job, plus kitchen and bathroom floors were thrown in, if I didn’t contact their references and to get me to go with them. It worked, but not getting references should’ve been a red flag.
8. The team is not very organized. The main worker needs to get a copy of the work order to make communication more efficient in getting materials (solid door for closet turned out to be hollow, wrong dimension of plywood in closet, etc.). Seems that once the work order is written up, details are missed during foreman/contractor’s rounds to check up on things.
9. In calling to get my last repairs, it was hard to get a hold of a live person in the office; constantly got a «not available» voicemail, not even the company’s name is mentioned. It took 2 months of persistent calling and emailing to finally get my repairs done. A repair crew should be in place for more expediency if the current one is unavailable. Efficient response equals good customer service.
In summary, I wouldn’t recommend this company. They tout themselves as a family-​owned business with over 12 years experience and no blemish with the Better Business Bureau, but overall good quality workmanship and customer service is lacking. They need to hire conscientious workers, be more organized and efficient as a team. Get references and do your due diligence in comparison shopping. I’m regretting it now.

Was expecting a nightmare when finding a contractor for my parents house while I’m abroad for 6 months… Glad I found these guys.
Topaz is the third firm that I contacted, and super glad that the first two companies lamed out in one way or another. Really great experience working with them for the folks’ bathroom renovation and kitchen remodel.
The first firm I contacted (from Unilocal) simply didn’t show up
The second firm I contacted showed up but wanted a deposit without giving my mom anything in writing lol.
And then, like a ray of sunshine emerging from a monsoon Topaz showed up. Used them for two projects (same time) and super pleased. They earned mom’s stamp of approval which is even more remarkable.
1. Estimate: I joined via conference call. Patiently answered mom’s questions, even had some ideas of how to get the bathroom project done cheaper, which was an unexpected delight. The kitchen part was cool — the guy emailed over a cool 3D mockup of what the kitchen would look like.
2. In the house working: Got along with my parents’ maniac dog. Mom and dad both report that the workers kept the house clean and tidy.
3. Results: Great work! Kitchen was delivered up to my mom’s specifications and looked like the 3d mockup. Dad is super happy with his palatial throne fit for a king.
¹⁰⁄₁₀ would certainly recommend for kitchen remodeling and bathroom renovations. Super happy with these guys and very impressed with their professionalism and the attention they gave my folks. Thanks!

Biggest mistake I’ve made hiring these guys. They’ve been working on an exterior remodel on my house for almost 5 months. Job should have only take 2 months. Poor workmanship as well. New stucco is already cracking and bubbling from the walls. They’ve left my backyard a complete disaster for over 4 months. They do the hard sell but don’t deliver on their promises.

I had one of the company’s consultants come out and look over the property and the project and work with me to give an estimate. He was extremely insightful, helpful and creative. His input was great and really made me think about my project and the best way to improve the property and at the same time save money.
I really recommend Shai (the contractor/​consultant) for Topaz. He was great and such a welcome resource for collaborating and designing the scope of the remodel project. Thank you Shai for your professionalism, promptness, insight and creativity and for your work. This guy was great!!!

I don’t usually write reviews, but in this case, it is a favor to anyone who thinks of using them. I was fooled by their 5 star reviews (which probably come from people working for them or people that have been paid to write them) and decided to call them. I needed a general contractor to give me a quote on some repairs that needed to be done in a condominium, so I decided to call them. I was told that they would send someone to come and give me a free estimate. They told me that their guy would be there between 1−3pm. Surprise, surprise! Their guy (Ben. S) did not get there until 5pm! After showing him what I needed to get quoted on, he decided to pull a fast one and try to get me to sign a contract that stated I would have them start doing the work asap. Good thing I had my agent there, as he immediately said that was illegal and he had never seen anyone try to pull that card in the 15 years he had been an agent. Ben S. tried to argue with him by saying that it is common practice to have clients sign contracts and went on to LITERALLY put words in my mouth by stating that I had told them that I wanted to get the work done immediately. Obviously, I had never said such a thing, as all I had requested is for them to send a guy out and give me a quote. Who in their right minds accepts a a job without even being quoted for it beforehand? After arguing with my agent, and seeing that he would not get me to sign any contracts, he decided to give up and leave saying he would email me the quote. It didn’t stop there, he proceeded to send me a bunch of text messages, requesting that I give him the name of my agent as well as the seller’s agent as he wanted to contact them in the future (and most likely harass them to send clients over to him). Needless to say, none of the agents wanted to do business with him to which I replied that I did not want to give their information out. So he ended up texting me back saying that he would call me later that night to go over the quote before emailing it to make sure he did not leave anything out. Surprise, surprise! He never called back or emailed me a quote. I tried to contact him again the following day to get the quote, but he never answered. Moral of the story is: DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THIS COMPANY! THEY ARE EXTREMELY UNPROFESSIONAL! DEFINITELY DO NOT AGREE TO SIGNING ANY CONTRACTS WITH THEM, IF ALL YOU ASKED FOR WAS A QUOTE!

I used topaz to remodel my kitchen in my cando and love the results and working with them. They got the work done in just over a week and I was extremely impressed. My neighbor is now using them too for a remodel and is very happy with them.

From start to finish, the service and workmanship is professional and top quality in every way. This is our third time using TCD Solutions, two times in a previous home and most recently in our new home. TCD works with you at every step of the process to offer their expert, creative advice on design and construction of walkways etc. and plantings to ensure that you get just what you want. The work is done efficiently and cleanly. The results are truly excellent.

I chose this company based on a referral from my brother and heard they have a great reputation. Bobby was great, always on the ball and if he didn’t have an answer right then and there, he always got back to me in a prompt manner the minute he did get the answer. He also was always very helpful and very quick to get back to me when I left a message. I have also worked with Shai on the field and he is the best! I was happy to work with him on a day to day basis. I dealt with the construction crew a little bit in the morning when they came to the house. I spoke with them. They gave their game plan on what they were going to be completing for the day and what time that they thought they would be finished, they were always very accurate and stayed within their timeline. Everything was cleaned up at the end of each shift. The only thing that was there was the dumpster which they did inform me was going to be picked up the next morning, which was actually pick up a couple mornings later. Aside from that, I’d recommend TCD Construction. They did a good job and i am extremely happy with the outcome on the construction in our house. Their crew is very professional and fun to work with.

Topaz did more work in one day than an old company i used did in three days. they kept the work area clean, laid tarps on the floor and up the stairs. They completed the project and made sure I was satisfied through every step of the way. their step by step selection process really made everything so easy.

Topaz came through for my family in so many ways. They got the job done, stayed within our budget and were timely and incredibly on time every day. We needed someone to come out immediately to help fix our roof as it was leaking and raining season hit us with no warning. Everyone on the crew was considerate and super kind. They took their time when explaining the project to us and were patient when we needed repeating. They cleaned up daily and the quality of their work is mint condition. I would and will recommend Topaz to anyone who asks and maybe even some who don’t!

I heard about Topaz Construction & Development from a friend who had his kitchen done by them and it looked amazing. So I gave them a call and they came and did my kitchen the results were so spectacular I had them come back and do my bathroom!
I will definitely contact them for future work. They’re very professional and so kind. The quality of their work is outstanding, I would absolutely recommend them!
Thank you Topaz Construction & Development!!!

I was involved with few construction projects and managements, as they took on my coaching program. The employees seem like they care about the company at all level, from entry level employee to management they all seem kind, fair and honest, as well as hard working people. I have recommended them to few clients and will do so again.