J. Kramer Corp.

After multiple contractors, multiple years, and large multiples of dollars, we finally came across Joe Kramer, who remodelled our Laguna Beach home into our dream residence. Joe is an outstanding general contractor! His design skills, aesthetic appreciation, innovative ideas, communication skills, availability, courteousness, and demeanour are all excellent- and, only bettered by the fact that he is a genuine, caring human being. My (very fussy) wife, my children, and I all highly recommend Joe and his company, and greatly appreciate what he has done for us!

“I love my contractor!” That’s a sentence you don’t often hear, but it’s how I feel about Joe Kramer. Every day during the remodel of two bathrooms, he let me know which subcontractors would be coming and when. He personally stopped by almost every day, and sometimes multiple times a day, to check their work. The results are flawless. There were no surprises on budget or time. Joe is a deeply knowledgeable professional and a caring human being. And all the subs he brings in are hardworking, respectful craftsmen. During past remodels with other contractors, I have counted the days to completion and vowed not to undertake another project any time soon. This is the first time that I don’t feel that way. The experience of working with Joe was a delight from start to finish and I am absolutely thrilled with the outcome.

J. Kramer Corp. is a superstar team in so many ways. I would absolutely hire J. Kramer Corp. again and here are the highlights why: J. Kramer Corp. does everything with integrity, honesty, and authenticity; Joe and his team are responsive, dependable, and respectful. I demolished my home of 40 years and create a modern custom home for my aging years blending in-door, outdoor living with handicap readiness for future needs. Joe is an outstanding juggler of all the factors a builder must infuse into the daily life of a multimillion-dollar project. His vast and deep experience working with great designs, artists, architects, designers accumulates into his rich palette of effective, efficient suggestions. He is humble yet firm, and patient for others to come around to an alternative way of thinking. My house is proof of Joe’s belief that “it is in the small details” where good becomes great. Joe is a great leader of his crews. He treats his crews like family, pays them well, and demands perfection. He creates a distinctive professional culture on site: generally a dozen or more men worked daily on site, all working in harmony, with a low sound volume, and a clean work site. Joe is a master scheduler and manager of trades, supplies, budgets, city expectations, inspectors, the weather, etc.; a gift in this regard puts Joe in the top 1% of the best of builders. More than one supplier asked me who my contractor is because “he has some magic that they haven’t seen before.” Three specific examples of why Joe is the best: 1) Over 30 years I had asked the city for permission to improve my sidewalk’s curb, no luck until Joe got approval and the job was done! 2) Due to Joe’s attention to detail, planning, and scheduling, almost all City inspections passed the first time; often two inspections occurred simultaneously. 3) Joe originally estimated my project would take 52 weeks, and 52 weeks after demolition, the city’s final inspections were all signed off. All 52 weeks were within the COVID lock-down year, talk about managing the unexpected! J. Kramer Corp.’s bid for the entire project was the foundation of the financial story. Amy oversees the financial end, her record keeping and spreadsheets were the best I have seen in my many years of home remodel projects. My questions were answered quickly and clearly with solid data support. At the end of the project when few funds were owed, Joe remained committed to me and my project, attending to ALL final items, no matter how small; Joe's diligence was exceptional to the very end, and I am especially grateful to him for closing out our project with such class and professionalism. While great skills and experience are important, what makes J. Kramer Corp. so special is the character and values of each team member. J. Kramer Corp. cared for me, my challenges, and my dreams. With a project like this, the unexpected happens, things get tough, cash flow gets tight, J. Kramer Corp. was there for me.

Joe Kramer was the perfect choice to build our luxury duplex project in Laguna Beach. We selected Joe for his experience, attention to detail, and passion for building contemporary architecture. Our project required extensive site preparation and retaining, multiple buildings and neighbors in close quarters, and learning a new construction method. Nothing about the work was too big for Joe’s experience or too small for his attention. Joe kept our project moving by seamlessly managing an average of 3-4 trades onsite at all times. We received comments throughout about the cleanliness of the job site and the quality of the work evident in every detail. We felt like we were Joe’s only clients, and he was always available to answer questions and hear our concerns. He communicated early and often, involving us in decisions where he needed input or approval, but also made great choices for everything else. We would work with Joe again and we highly recommend J Kramer Corp!

Joe is a very experienced builder in Laguna Beach and has built upwards of at least 50 homes. His expertise is in modern homes, superbly built, with a certain standard of design and architecture comparable to the top level you see in high end architectural magazines. We worked with Joe on building our home, I recommended he build my neighbors home and as her real estate agent, helped finish her home as they were transferred, and sold it within 2 weeks for top dollar. Our third project was working on a complete luxury remodel install on the ocean for one of my clients who lived out of the country. The result was stunning.

From the beginning, the Kramer’s worked to make the house perfect for us with great attention to detail. Today, after more than 19 years we can’t imagine living in a more wonderful home. It is solidly built, beautifully equipped, and nurtures us every day with its natural views. Without a doubt, one of the biggest assets of our home is the Kramer’s themselves; they are such a great team, exemplary in fact, with strong complementary skills. Over the years, Amy’s efficient and resourceful research skills have helped us find the perfect appliance to fit a space, a wonderful new garage door, a nearly flawless granite repair and other additions that we would never have found ourselves. Joe’s expert building skills and strong network have brought the best people to complete any job we needed done. It’s been a gift and we’ve been able to keep our beautiful house in first rate shape. Not only have Joe and Amy helped us find good people, but Joe has often helped or made a repair himself. In fact, just recently, Joe replaced our unusual side yard gates himself (a big job!) because the gates needed to be done with care and perfection, adding to the clean look of the house. I would recommend J. Kramer Corp. to anyone who wants to build a new home or renovate an existing home. Joe takes the time and effort needed to make sure everything is done properly, quickly, and with care in mind.

Joe Kramer should be your first call if you are building a home or considering a home renovation in Laguna Beach. Twelve years ago (2004), my husband and I purchased an early 1990 Mark Singer home. It was a dream come true! We lived in the home for several years until it became "part of us." Then, a decade ago, we contacted Mark Singer about making some exterior renovations. Mark recommended his son, Ryan, to bring the design up to date. It was fantastic working with Ryan, who was able to collaborate with his father on our project. In essence, our exterior remodel was a project 25 years in the making (since the home was originally built). My husband and I wanted to work with a builder who was experienced in modern design and in particular had built Mark Singer designed homes. That's when we found Joe Kramer! Joe has 30 years of building experience and has built more than a dozen Mark Singer homes. We felt so fortunate to find Joe for this project! The exterior renovation was something we had dreamt about for 10 years. We were making history on Summit Drive! I contacted Joe Kramer early in 2016 to discuss the project and meet at our home. Joe was extraordinarily professional and serious about the project at hand, but at the same time I found him to be relatable, funny and easy to engage. Joe reviewed our plans carefully and discussed the many facets of this project. He brought Ryan Singer over for meetings to discuss every aspect of the new design. I really appreciated how much Joe cared about "getting it right." Joe wanted to ensure that everyone involved in the project (builder, designer and homeowners) were on the same page. Not an easy task, especially with many moving parts and nearly every exterior surface being modified, but Joe accomplished this again and again with ease. Another quality that sets Joe Kramer apart is his quick response time. We first met with Joe in January 2016 when we had design approval with the City of Laguna Beach. Then we worked with Ryan to submit structural plans to the City. Once the structural plans were approved, Joe Kramer was at the building department to pull permits. He pulled permits nearly the same day we had all of our approvals. That was incredible! Our project was in motion! A little back story to our growing family during this construction project... We had design approval in January 2016 when I was newly pregnant with baby #3. Several months later, we obtained structural approval and Joe pulled the building permits. When I was 35 weeks pregnant, scaffolding went up and demo started!! We also had two busy boys, ages 2 and 5! Talk about a bustling household! You might ask, what were we getting ourselves into? A major home renovation project with a new baby just weeks away from being born (along with two busy boys)?!! The kingpin in this story is Joe Kramer! His careful planning, sensitivity, and patience throughout this process has been absolutely remarkable! Fast forward to Father's Day June 2016, the day we brought our brand new baby girl home from the hospital... to our home, a busy construction site! There was a jack hammer operating right outside our front door when our newborn baby was 8 days old. On any other project, this would have been complete madness for the homeowner. But, for me, I was able to stay calm day in and day out because I knew Joe was in charge. Joe Kramer kept our project moving week after week with daily and in person excellent communication. He is an extraordinarily reliable builder--each and every time we needed to reach him or had a question, it seemed he would show up on our driveway within minutes. When issues arose (as they do on every project), Joe carefully assessed the situation and always presented solutions that worked. He never hesitated to engage his subcontractors or bring them back if something wasn't right. We initially hired Joe Kramer Corp because of Joe's impressive skill as a builder and attention to every detail. But what we were surprised by was his unending patience and unwavering dedication to delivering us the highest quality product possible. It was as if he were renovating his own family's home. That's how important the project was to him. After a decade of planning and dreaming, we are nearing the end of our project. Our sweet baby girl is 6 months old now. My two boys have adored this construction site and affectionately call Joe Kramer "Mr. Joe." My husband and I are thrilled with how the project turned out. We truly cannot believe the transformation (even though we lived thru it)! All of this is thanks to Joe Kramer and his team of skilled craftsmen. Not a day goes by that someone driving by doesn't comment on how beautiful our home is. They slow down to take it all in and enthusiastically tell us how much they love the transformation! The neighbors and passersby have praised the project. They love it. So do we. We are so happy. What more could we ask for in this decade long dream that now has become a reality thanks to Joe Kramer. A+

We haven't felt this proud in years! Joe reimagined and rebuilt our home in lighting speed fashion without sacrificing quality. We'd build another house with him in a heartbeat. The tradesmen who worked on our project were all top notch and eager to please. When we chose Joe, we did so because of his reputation for speed, quality, and attention to detail. What also sets him apart is that he provides CONCIERGE SERVICE. He's always at the ready to return a call, email, or meet on-site. We had to travel a few times during the project and weren't the least bit concerned that the project wasn't moving forward. Joe is a top-tier builder - with a fantastic eye for design - and we can't imagine having worked with anyone else. He's also a good egg - and if you want a house that will still be fashionable and standing in 50 years - you shouldn't hesitate to hire him.

We have the home of our dreams due to the experience, diligence and incredible professionalism of Joe and J. Kramer Corp. We completed the major remodel and addition of our 3,200 sq. ft. home in the challenging City of Laguna Beach on schedule and (other than our own changes), within budget...an unbelievable accomplishment! There was never a day without our job crawling with subcontractors...all of which clearly respect Joe. Joe is responsive, reasonable and truly takes pride in his work.

I have worked with J. Kramer Corp. on many projects over the last 18 years. Joe is a fine builder with a keen sense of design and style who takes pride in producing a fine home for his clients. He understands that great architecture is the product of his attention to detail and the thoughtful joining of materials. This sophistication and understanding as a builder is something that many other contractors lack, but it is just one of the many traits that sets J. Kramer Corp. apart from the sea of builders around us. Joe is always a consideration for us and our clients and we look forward to many more years of working together.

We used J. Kramer Corp on a major remodel in Laguna Beach. We chose him because of his excellent reputation and his bid was lower than that of other contractors. It was clear from discussing our project with him that he had an excellent command of the issues involved, has immense experience, and was thoughtful and would be easy to work with. We probably would have chosen him even had his bid been higher than the others.. Our project involved creating a garage under the existing house, and capturing significant space underneath the house. The project required that the existing house be shored up while excavation occurred, all on a small street on the ocean side of PCH with literally no parking on the street. It was a difficult project, and challenging from several angles. In Laguna Beach, the City makes even the simplest of projects difficult, but Joe Kramer was able to negotiate all of the project’s complexities, and still finish the project quickly and within a reasonable budget. We have done other major projects, and know how challenging things can be, but we were extremely satisfied with Joe and his very courteous and professional staff and subcontractors. Joe is exceedingly available, answered all our questions clearly, and was a great source of information and advice when it was needed. Neighbors would approach us during the process, and rather than complain about noise, dust, parking and neighborhood disruption, they would go out of their way to compliment us on how considerate Joe and the workers were being. We are so very satisfied and pleased with how our project came out, and would recommend Joe Kramer without hesitation.

J. Kramer Corp. just completed the most amazing remodel on my Laguna Beach Cottage. I chose J. Kramer Corp. because of their inpeccable reputation and the detailed proposal presented to me at the beginning of the remodel. From the start of the project which was stripping the home down to the studs to the end, it was the most none stressful and rewarding experience. J. Kramer Corp. came with experienced and considerate sub contractors. There was not an evening I would stop by my house and find reminents of lunch or any excess trash. The site was maintained and the team was very respectful to my neighbors. I also enjoyed the fact they did not blast music during the day which can be very disruptive to the neighbors. They were so enjoyable, I loved having lunch with them on occasion and discuss life and the remodel! Being from a design background, I was very careful in choosing a contractor who would understand my vision. It is extremely important to have someone who listens, is excited about trying something new, takes on a challenge and most important understands that "no detail is too small". From the picutres you will see of my home, the endless detail and exquisite finish is apparent throughout. I would highly recommend J. Kramer Corp. and his team to do your home! Thanks Joe!!!!