MF Construction & Design Inc

Mike is the ultimate gentleman contractor, one of only a few in LA that truly put the customer first. Even in the crazy inflationary market of the past year, he worked tirelessly to deliver a good price - when costs were increasing weekly - and source materials. He was around often during the job to check on progress and ensure that the work was done to our satisfaction. He was diligent in ensuring all of the punch-list items were completed at the end of the job. We’ve had only one rain test so far, but I’m confident the roof will last for years. This isn’t the first work Mike has done for us and I’m certain it won’t be the last - I just trust that he’s going to do a top quality job.

I had my kitchen redone by Mike at MF Construction about two years ago and was NOT happy with the results. I’m posting now because of a newly discovered problem. The reasons Electrical: My wife wanted a better kitchen, but all I wanted was a dedicated circuit for the microwave. The old kitchen wiring did need to be replace, (it cost us $6,800 for one room) and electrician said we needed an upgraded electric panel to 200amps at a cost of $3,800. 1. The electrician did NOT put the dedicated circuit for the microwave. Literally the only specific thing we requested of him. 2. With just a little bit of research I found we did NOT need the upgraded panel, which would have cost $3,800 PLUS almost $1,000 more to move some waterpipes away from it for code reasons. I called Mike and asked him why they said I needed one. He had the nerve to tell me that I was the customer and should know to ask more details. I told him that HE was the contractor and we hired him to help us navigate the process. As a homeowner, how am I supposed to know about electrical details? He begrudgingly took the item off the contract, and we stuck with the existing panel 3. The electrician refused to install our stove’s exhaust hood because someone in the past accused him of scratching theirs. Mike and a couple of laborers “installed it”, but the chimney, the piece that goes from the hood to the ceiling, wasn’t attached and was bent in. I fixed that myself later 4. Upon me writing my first negative review, Mike begged me to take it down and set up an appointment for the electrician to come over. I explained about the dedicated circuit and the electrician said the outlets were evenly split between two different circuits. I said I understood, but I wanted the microwave on its own because when the toaster oven was on, and you tried to use the microwave, the power drained and the microwave slowed. The electrician said, “Just run the cord to that other outlet”. I didn’t want a big black cord would be running across my new counter, I wanted a dedicated circuit. He then RAISED HIS VOICE while pointing to each outlet, “One, Two, One, Two, One, Two!” Mike stopped him and asked what it would take. They said they needed to rip out part of a wall, and would take days. Then the electrician again said, “But why, just run the cord across!”. His voice was louder this time and I demanded he leave and not yell at me in my own home. He kept arguing and I had to again ask him to leave…I was feeling unsafe at this point…but asked again, for a third time and Mike finally lead him out. As he stomped down my drive way he was yelling back at me that I was ignorant and to never call him again. This last part is all on my security cameras. Plumbing 1. We purchased an under-sink water filter and I asked him to hook it up for us. The entire installation consisted of attaching an adapter, that’s it. Anyone can do it, but since the plumber was just installing the valves, I asked if they could do it. Mike said it would be an additional $60 to $100. I was stunned. He said they would go ahead and install it and I could pay him after. I told him no, I would take care of it…I was livid. The plumber was much nicer, and said it was no problem and would only take a minute to do it and to not charge me General 1. When Mike had the crew move my fridge out, they marred the side of it. Luckily for us it was on the counter side. At the end they went to my garage to move it back in and kicked over a glass patio candle, spilling oil over the floor and shattering the glass. 2. Within a couple of weeks, the paint on the cabinets cracked and the doors didn’t line up. Mike did send someone out to fix that. NEW PROBLEM Today, September 15, 2022, I found a new issue. I tried to turn off the water to my sink and the valve isn’t working. After less than two years I am now forced to hire a plumber to come in an replace it with a quality one. How bad does a valve have to be to fail so quickly? After getting the cabinets fixed, and having Mike tell me he was sorry and because of some medical issues he let the quality suffer, I had forgiven MF Construction, despite the ongoing electric annoyances, and took down the bad review. After this new issue popped up again, it all came back. AVOID THIS COMPANY. There are many great GCs out there, so don’t take the chance. Additionally, as shown in the photos, the finishes were pathetic, as well. I ended up doing painting touch ups myself.

Mike and his team helped us fully update and remodel a dark and dingy 1970s ranch house into a beautiful contemporary home for our family. His team (Melvin, Luis and others) were professional, respectful and prompt. Mike is an honest and straightforward contractor who is super responsive and will show up at the job site almost every day to make sure things are done right. I'm sure we'll work with him again in the future.

The adage “You get what you pay for” rings true with MF Construction. When we were in the market for a general contractor to build our two-bedroom/two-bath ADU in San Marino, we interviewed several general contractors. Mike Maman of MF Construction was one of them. Mike showed us several of his projects as well as his own custom home. We were extremely impressed with the end results. After reviewing several competitive bids, we selected Mike because of his 40+ years of experience in building high-quality homes. During the construction of our ADU, Mike was just a text or phone call away. He kept us informed of upcoming events and visited our job site almost daily, sometimes more than once a day. He was present at all 12 of the City inspections. Every step along the way, we noted the high quality of materials Mike uses from the Ganahl lumber to the thick insulation and roofing paper to the copper pipes and shower hot mop, and mold-resistant drywall. Mike uses materials which meets or exceeds code requirements. Everyone on Mike’s team is extremely skilled in his/her craft, many having worked with him for decades. Mike is old school and does not take any shortcuts. Along with high quality construction and materials, Mike is extremely efficient. Our ADU was completed in four months, as promised. Progress was made every day. From the rough work to the finishes, Mike scheduled his team members just in time which resulted in an extremely efficient and smooth workflow. Mike builds with his heart. His passion is infectious which inspires his team members to do their best work. The results are evident in the finished product. Our neighbors and friends are extremely impressed with the quality and build of our ADU. If you value a well-built home and appreciate attention to detail, you will not be disappointed with Mike Maman. You WILL get what you pay for with MF Construction.

I recommend MF Construction without hesitation for any and all of your home remodeling needs. Mike and his team did a beautiful job! They exceeded our expectations in performance, outcome, attention to detail, and timeline. From the start of the project to the finish, the team showed up every single day, even on some weekends. They stayed late when necessary to keep the project on track and worked tirelessly to ensure our satisfaction. Mike, Melvin, and the team are exceptionally clear communicators. I always knew what was going to happen next with the project. They checked on the team's progress and my satisfaction frequently. Mike was kind and patient with both of my elementary-aged children. Their bedrooms got a complete redesign and overhaul and he treated them just like customers, giving them input and ownership into the process. Thank you so much, MF construction! We could not be happier with our "new" home!

MF Construction's work was exquisite, tasteful and impeccable. So happy with the attention to detail Mike and his team gave my projects, not to mention that they were on budget, to the dollar. Which is pretty unheard of in a job of this size and detail. A contractor like no other, truly. A definite long term company for all our upcoming home projects.

Not sure where to begin to tell you how happy we are with our new kitchen. Mike and MF Construction transformed our 1970’s kitchen into a kitchen you would see in a magazine. We interviewed a few contractors, however; when we met Mike we knew he give us what we wanted. After signing the contract, he opened the doors to his home to show us the quality of his work. Let me tell you, he does AMAZING work. From demolition to the final finishes Mike was there inspecting, and watching over his workers to make sure everything was perfect and exactly what we wanted. He met me to assist in picking the flooring, cabinets, and fixtures. He was honest and made sure that we got the best quality product for the best prices. Our project took approximately 10 weeks and would have been finished sooner, but one of the workers was injured off site. Mike and his crew move fast and efficiently and they even work weekends and holidays. Mike worked was honest and worked with us on price when we encountered a few unexpected costs. Mike is honest, efficient, and he works hard to make sure his customers are happy with the finished product. We believe he built our kitchen as if it was his own. We appreciate all that Mike and his workers did for us and we would definitely hire Mike and his team again.

After interviewing several candidates, my wife and I made the brilliant decision to hire MF Construction. Mike is a friendly, honest and forthright guy and a pleasure to work with. He made sure we understood the cost and scope of the work requested, and when changes were required, he always made sure we were happy and that everything met our expectations. Mike’s employees, Daniel and Omar, showed up on time every day and were consistently polite, respectful and friendly. From roofing to framing to painting, their work was exceptional, and completed within the promised time frame. Mike checked in almost every day to supervise. However, any time we had questions, he was easy to reach by text or phone. Our job involved custom work to preserve a midcentury home. Mike took special care to ensure that the work matched the architect’s original design. We couldn’t be happier, and definitely plan to use MF Construction again.

I am very happy with my kitchen remodel - I was quite concerned about budgeting, because I'm aware these projects grow too big fast -- and i had a very fixed budget. They did a great job, and were on-time,, flexible and helpful. I'll probably use them for a bathroom remodel in a few months.

My Wife and I were fortunate to hire MF Construction. Mike's employees Luis, Jose and Mario showed up every day at 8 AM sharp and exceeded our expectations for every aspect of the project. Mike inspected the job-site everyday and was available by phone at all times. Mike and his crew take pride in their work and are highly skilled and efficient. Everyone that worked for Mike was extremely trustworthy and I would hire MF Construction again without hesitation and highly recommend Mike and his Company

This is my second project with Mike from MF Construction and design. The first project was a minor interior remodel, which I was super pleased with MF and the outcome. Given the success of the first project, I reached out to Mike to see if he could help with my wall leaks from these last rains. He came over and assessed the issue, explained what he found and the process to repair it. Given my previous experience, I signed. As expected, the project was started right away and was completed in a reasonable amount of time. The best summary I can give is that Mike does what he says he is going to do, when he says he is going to do it, at the cost of what he estimated. Bumps do occur in any project, but when they do Mike explains the issue and gives options. I will be using MF Construction in the future. He is not the cheapest, but if you value quality and the level of partnership he brings to his projects, the cost is worth it in the long run.

We used Mike and MF Construction a couple of years ago to remodel our kitchen. Everything went smoothly then, and we still love our kitchen, so when it came time to convert our garage into an office we called Mike. We are just as happy this time. Mike listened to our plans and made suggestions. He asked good questions to make sure we were going to get what we wanted. The main workers on our job, Luis and Jose, were great. They are very experienced and were easy to talk to and ask questions. Mike would come by just about every day, and and check on the progress, and fill us in on what to expect.

Mike and his crew were did a excellent job. My wife and I were very happy with the results.

The owner showed up, spent over 1 hour of my time discussing everything, said he could do the job "for around $200,000."... After several requests for an estimate, he claimed he is too busy. Don't waste your time like I did with this guy. He was NOT honest with me.

Mike Mamen called back within the hour. Next day I showed him the problems with my 90-year-old garage's roof and wiring. He tell me that existing 2x4 rafters could be sistered rather than replaced with 2x12. Additional 2x6 tie beams across garage. He recommended all new shingles, garage door, side door, window, lights, and outlets. Exterior paint on stucco and wood trim. Mike recommended replacing the house 100A electric service panel with 200A, in addition to trenching a conduit between house and garage. He also recommended grading behind the garage to route water away from its foundation. Also, adding gutters and downspouts to both the garage and house. Later we discovered that the house's facia needed to be replaced. He drove me to two current job sites, introduced his crew, and showed the work being done. Mike is knowledgable, direct, friendly, and talkative. Listens to my concerns and ideas, then presents options and his recommendations. Responds to later questions and text messages. Knows local building codes and permitting process. Works by the book -- written contract proposals describe the job and materials. Flexible in handling changes and unexpected glitches. Does minor tasks gratis. Personally attends inspections. Likewise, foreman and electrician Luis is friendly and competent. I am pleased with the competence and results of MF Construction and Design. The entire job took about seven weeks. It was more expensive than I would have thought. OTOH I did not get other bids.

This was a very complex project given the age and structural integrity of the home. The project focused on the reconfiguration of a first floor bedroom, bathroom and kitchen and upgrading many other features on the property. Extreme detail was required due to the unique architectural features in many of the rooms. Some of these details were in bad shape and required significant repair or replacement. Mike at MF Construction & Design spent many hours reviewing the overall scope of the project, highlighting hidden issues that could possibly arise during demolition. Unfortunately, many of these issues did arise, but we were not surprised given the conversations we had with Mike during the planning process. We even ran in several unforeseen issues with a 110 year-old structure, but Mike always had several solutions to rectify these problems. The trades working for Mike were EXTREMELY proficient in their craftsmanship and attention to detail. Molding around new doors and windows were replicated to exactly match those in older parts of the home. Lath & plaster details damaged during structural upgrades were repaired to original condition (good as new). The entire interior and exterior of the home was painted, with EVERY seam and crack caulked and filled prior to priming and painting. Tile was expertly installed with lots of intricate detail. Given the complexity of the job, communication was an important element to a successful outcome. Mike was available 95% of the time I called (which was virtually everyday). The times he could not get to the phone, he would always call back within the hour. Mike also called routinely to verify design details to ensure the work done by his team was completely consistent with our expectations. At times, the condition of the home did not allow us to realize a specific design vision; when this happened Mike had great suggestions for acceptable alternatives. Although I have worked with MF Construction & Design on several other projects, this was, by far, the largest and most complicated one. The quality of work, attention to detail, and professionalism exhibited by Mike and his crew is second to none. I could have received quotes for this project far less than I received from MF Construction, but I am sure the change orders would have driven the cost up close to what I eventually paid for the work. MF Construction provided a high value proposition for this unique property. They were able to deliver a beautiful renovation of a classic Craftsman home, including energy efficient upgrades, while maintaining the original charm and character. Outstanding job!!

Overall, we got what we paid for and are pleased with the work of Mike, who runs the company. We originally had contacted 3 general contractors for quotes/assessments, and Mike was clearly the most professional, confident, and clear. While Mike was more costly than the other two companies, we chose to go with Mike because we were willing to pay for quality. Mike stated he'd be available to us anytime we needed him, 7 days per week, and he delivered on his promise. I spoke with Mike via phone many times, as well as communicated via text. He pretty much answered my call every time AND responded to texts either instantly or within the hour. Mike's subcontractors were also quality and professional. Only a couple of times were there minor issues with the subcontractors, which Mike was quick to rectify and ensure that we were satisfied.

Very well. Mike did a full bathroom remodel for us in 2018 and basically stated he would take care of anything for us in the future if there are any issues/failures in the work.... which sounded too good to be true. He was the most expensive of the 3 bids we had for the bathroom, but also the most confident and clear in his explanation oh how he would help us, so we went with the "premium" option and chose him. Almost 2 years after the remodel, a part of the shower door broke and it was due to the glass company Mike hired that didn't drill a piece in properly, and instead used silicone, which eventually wore away. Mike was happy to send someone in for us to properly drill, but since it was April, 2020, and just into the pandemic, my wife wasn't ready to have a stranger in the home to fix it. Mike said no worries and just to let him know when. Fast forward to Feb, 2021, and I call Mike and he sends a guy 2 days later who uses a special drill/tools to take care of the minor issue that required special tools i didn't have. If you want quality, consider Mike and MF Construction, recognizing you get what you pay for.

Complete Studio remodel. On this studio remodel project Mike (Moshe) and his crew did a great job. They were meticulous, punctual and Moshe was extremely responsive. Virtually every time I called or texted Moshe he responded promptly and was courteous. Please note that Moshe is NOT cheap. He was the most expensive of the three quotes I received, but I feel the quality of work on this project was worth the extra expense.

Mike was very helpful from the start. Our bathroom had been completely gutted due to mold, water damage and lead/asbestos removal. His workers completed the removal of everything down to the subtle and studs, but were able to preserve the sink and vanity and toilet. He promised to do the remodeling in five weeks and accomplished that. His crew were polite, clean, and efficient. they showed up when promised and worked the whole time there were in our house. As Mike promised, we passed the city inspection easily. Our new bathroom sparkles and we are enjoying using it again!

I highly recommend MF Construction and Design. The service and quality far exceeded my expectations. We were not looking forward to working with contractors again given bad experiences with prior contractors. Mike and team from MF Construction went above and beyond to make this a great experience for us. They are very responsive, always available and provided excellent service. The quality of work is amazing and the detail impeccable. I love how my home turned out and would definitely use MF Construction again for future work.

Working with Mike was a pleasure, start to finish, and I feel lucky to have found a detail-oriented contractor who is so aligned with my desired process and outcome. Of all the bids I received, he was the only one who reviewed the plans for the project, the result being that I had a much more accurate estimate up-front, rather than surprise in-process addendums. As with any project involving a 95 year old structure, there were items that we could not foresee, but Mike was up-front about these possibilities and fair in negotiating the resulting change orders. He's a great source of ideas and has a good understanding of the importance of attention to period detail. No project is without its friction points, but Mike is excellent in discussing areas where we disagree and I feel that we always reached a solution that was fair to both parties. I really can not recommend him highly enough, with my only reservation being that he might be too busy the next time I have a project!