General Contractors Based in the Valley

The short version

• This selected San Lorenzo Valley roster has 15 general building contractors based in Boulder Creek, Ben Lomond, or Felton, plus a dedicated roofer in Ben Lomond, most with an active California "B" license. They're listed by town below.
• A "B" General Building license is the right one for whole-house work: builds, additions, and remodels. Specialty scopes like septic, wells, roofing, and tree work carry their own classifications.
• Look up any contractor in the free CSLB license lookup before you sign or hand over a deposit. Status, bond, and complaint history can change.
• Get at least three written bids on identical plans, and never put down more than $1,000 or 10 percent of the contract price, whichever is less.
• Run the checks no matter who you call.

Printable version: the hiring a contractor checklist is worth printing before you call anyone on this list, since the verification steps are the same whoever you hire. The downloads page has the rest.

A builder who's already patched a washed-out driveway in February knows things a resume can't teach. If you're planning a build, remodel, or addition and you want a general contractor who lives with these slopes, driveways, and winters, you don't have to hire a stranger from over the hill. The valley has a deep local roster.

This page lists 15 general building contractors based in Boulder Creek, Ben Lomond, or Felton, and most carry an active California "B" General Building license we've noted below. It's a selected roster, not a complete count, because the CSLB database carries valley builders we haven't written up yet. The listings are grouped by town. For how to vet whichever one you call, read its companion, our guide on hiring a contractor in the Santa Cruz Mountains, which walks through licenses, bids, deposits, and permits in detail.

A quick word on the license numbers. Where our data has a contractor's CSLB number, we list it so you can confirm it yourself. A license number in a directory is a convenience, not a substitute for the free, real-time CSLB license lookup, which shows current status, classifications, bond, workers' compensation, and any complaint disclosure. Always look it up before you sign or hand over a deposit.

Boulder Creek

Geist Builders Group at 13119 Highway 9 (831-218-5730) is a licensed general contractor doing residential construction, remodeling, and project services, open Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. It's one of the few on this list with a listed street address in town.

Robert Bimbi Construction at 13200 Highway 9, Suite 2 (CSLB #798373, active B) is a Boulder Creek general building contractor, sole owner, licensed here since the 1990s.

LK Construction and Management, Inc. (831-901-1030, CSLB #1010899, active B) handles ground-up builds, remodels, and tenant improvements, and adds construction-management services.

Meadows Custom Builders (408-489-8145, CSLB #1077781, active B) focuses on custom home construction, renovations, and additions.

Markey Construction (831-359-1634) is a licensed general contractor for home builds, remodels, decks, fences, retaining walls, and concrete work. On valley lots, retaining walls and concrete carry a lot of the load.

The rest of Boulder Creek's general builders work from the field rather than a storefront, so contact runs by phone. All handle residential construction and remodeling, and each is in our directory.

• Kevin Foster Construction (831-588-2055, CSLB #936857, active B)
• JRG Construction (831-345-2917, CSLB #967855, active B)
• GNN Construction (831-247-9771, CSLB #997768, active B)
• Aaron Chase Construction (831-566-1336, CSLB #1063144, active B)
• Platinum Contracting Services (650-732-2168, CSLB #1037868, active B)
• VSG Builder (831-818-5733, CSLB #1141184, active B), run by Victor Soto, adds framing and concrete work including pumping

Ben Lomond

Eric Martin Construction, Inc. (408-768-3905, CSLB #981846, active B) is a Ben Lomond general building contractor for residential construction and remodeling. Lotz Construction (831-252-3767, CSLB #865919, active B) is a second Ben Lomond general building contractor covering the same residential work.

Felton

Dixon Construction (831-335-3162, CSLB #635141, active B) is a Felton general building contractor handling remodels, additions, decks, and new construction across the valley. Oliveira & Sons (831-239-9655, CSLB #940607, active B) is a second Felton general building contractor for residential construction and remodeling.

What This Roster Covers, and What It Doesn't

Every contractor above holds a general building classification, the right license for whole-house work: builds, additions, remodels, and the structural pieces around them. That's a deep bench for a small mountain community, and it's an advantage. A builder who already knows valley soils, steep access, septic setbacks, and storm-season scheduling starts ahead of one who doesn't.

Two gaps to plan around:

• Roofing: For a reroof, Christopher A New Roofing (CSLB #668255, C-39, Ben Lomond, 831-336-3553) has held a roofing license here since 1993 and is the closest dedicated roofer to town. Beyond that the local list is thin, so a general builder's subcontractor may be the other route.
• Flooring: No flooring contractor is based in the valley, so plan to bring one in from the wider county for flooring-specific jobs.

Several of the general contractors above take on remodels that include roofing and flooring scopes, so ask directly whether the job you have fits under their license and their crew, or whether they'll subcontract it.

Also worth remembering: the general building license isn't the license for every job. Septic work is a C-42 classification, wells are C-57, and tree work is C-49, as we cover in the hiring-a-contractor guide and the tree-work questions guide. If a bid's scope doesn't match the license's classification, that's your cue to keep asking.

Before You Hire Any of Them

Being valley-based is a real plus, but it doesn't replace the checks.

• Verify the license. Look up each contractor in the CSLB license lookup and confirm status, classification, and workers' compensation.
• Get three written bids on identical plans.
• Watch the deposit. Never put down more than $1,000 or 10 percent of the contract price, whichever is less.
• Ask the mountain questions that reveal local experience, about your septic system, slope drainage, well or district water, and winter scheduling.

The full checklist, including how Santa Cruz County permits work on unincorporated parcels, is in our hiring-a-contractor guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many general contractors are based in the San Lorenzo Valley?

More than we've written up. This page covers 15 general building contractors based in Boulder Creek, Ben Lomond, or Felton, most with an active California "B" license, and the CSLB database lists valley builders we haven't added yet. New businesses appear and licenses change, so confirm any contractor's current status in the CSLB lookup before hiring.

What license should a general contractor have for my remodel or addition?

For whole-house work like remodels, additions, and new builds, the right classification is a "B" General Building license, which every contractor on this page holds. Specialty scopes carry their own classifications, such as C-42 for septic, C-57 for wells, C-39 for roofing, and C-49 for tree work. Check that the license classification matches the job in the CSLB lookup.

Are there local roofers and flooring contractors in the valley?

Dedicated valley-based roofing contractors are thin, and there's no flooring specialist based in the valley, so those jobs may mean bringing someone in from the wider county or asking one of the general contractors here who they use. Several of these general builders take on remodels that include roofing and flooring scopes; ask directly whether your job fits their license and crew.

How do I check a contractor's license and deposit rules?

Use the free CSLB license lookup to confirm status, classifications, bond, and workers' compensation. On a California home improvement contract, the down payment is capped at $1,000 or 10 percent of the price, whichever is less, and later payments can't run ahead of the work done. A request for a large sum up front is a serious red flag. Our hiring-a-contractor guide covers the money and permit rules in full.

License status can change. Before signing or paying a deposit, confirm the number, classification, bond, and workers' compensation status through the Contractors State License Board.

Browse the full directory for local trades and read the hiring-a-contractor guide before signing anything. Send corrections or additions through the submit page.