Mares & Dow Construction

Mares & Dow Construction & Skylights, Inc. is a longstanding partnership of 37 years between Archie Mares, Dennis Dow and hundreds of great customers throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. We are a general contractor, building custom homes, additions, home remodeling, skylights, foundation repair, retaining wall construction and commercial remodeling. Maintaining a high level of customer satisfaction, we are proud to have provided our customers throughout the San Francisco Bay Area with quality construction and home improvement services for 37 years.

Retaining walls can be used as part of a terrace, or to increase the amount of flat space you have available. When you consider whether to invest in a retaining wall, it's vital to ensure that whoever builds it has the skills and experience to do a good job - nobody wants their wall to start cracking and crumbling after a heavy rainfall or a change in temperature. We are seasoned retaining wall contractors who have successful built many walls across Bay Area in the past 37 years. If you've previously had concrete walls or wood retaining walls put in place and they're now starting to show signs of deterioration, it's time to get them repaired.

What to do when your home is undersized or lacks vital amenities, like a family room, master bedroom, big kitchen, bathroom, laundry room, garage or just good storage and much needed closets. You could sell it and trade up to something larger, but it almost always costs more to move than it does to improve by adding on. If you're happy with the things you can't change about your home such as the neighborhood, the yard, the school district, and the travel to work or shopping then adding on to your home is the best way to upgrade you're family's living conditions.

A general contractor oversees your building project to ensure that your project is completed on time and to your satisfaction. At this point you may be wondering "How do I choose between the general contractors near me?" Our 37 years of experience providing general contracting services have proven we deliver on every project. That care and attention to detail is why people enjoy working with us and recommend Mares & Dow Construction & Skylights as a general contractor to their friends, resulting in over half of our new clients coming from customer referrals.

When it comes to basement waterproofing for your home Mares & Dow Construction & Skylights has you covered. We cannot stress enough how important it is to keep your basement dry, safe, and healthy. Water Seepage is rarely a one time event. Once water has seeped through your foundation, walls or floors, you can almost always be certain that it will happen again. Basement and crawl space water problems are very common in the San Francisco Bay Area. Water seepage in basements and crawl spaces is very common in new and old homes.

When people think about skylight installation, they tend to focus on a specific type of structure or space suited for it, like rooftop windows that are the perfect addition to a loft or an attic bedroom. However, recent innovations and developments in building design and materials mean that today, residential skylights can be located almost anywhere in your home, highlighting and transforming any space. As a leading residential and commercial skylight contractor providing both installation and skylight replacement, we deliver many different, innovative skylight solutions that can make an impact on your property's lighting and ambiance.

Daylight is the essential element that transforms conventional rooms into the splendid spaces that add value and quality to your home and life. And nothing brings in daylight like a VELUX Skylight. Maybe it's a venting skylight for your favorite room or a SUN TUNNEL for a walk-in closet. Mares & Dow Construction & Skylights brings the best of the outdoors inside with you. Did you know skylights can vent? Do you like natural light and fresh air at the push of a button? Venting skylights are ideal for family rooms, kitchens, bathrooms, master bedrooms, or anywhere you want to enjoy the light of the sun and Mother Nature's fresh air.

At Mares & Dow Construction & Skylights, our goal is to provide our clients with a bathroom remodel that combines both a beautiful look and functional layout. Here are the basic necessities in making a bathroom comfortable and easier to keep clean. Good bathroom space is essential, always make sure there is enough room to use the fixtures easily. Safe is a major concern when using fixtures, especially around the tub and shower. The lavatory-sink should be nearest the door. Private fixtures like the tub & toilet should be farthest from the door.

Retaining walls can be constructed with redwood or pressure treated wood. Wood retaining walls usually have the look of a friendly fence. Landscape designers often prefer that natural look over block or concrete walls on short walls with a lot of plants. Landscaping cloth installed behind the wall prevents roots from growing through the boards. Wood walls can contribute to your curb appeal. Retaining walls with interlocking block also called segmented retaining walls can be constructed with many of the interlocking-block systems available today like Keystone, Pavestone, Basalite, Calstone, Rockwood, Tensar, Versa lok.

Home Remodeling means a lot of things in today's world of owning a home. Staying put and planning for the future of your home is very different from past years. Today living within your means, conserving resources, and family value's, friends, the right schools for your children and neighbors is a big part of our lives. Mares & Dow Construction & Skylights understands the value's described above. We are very certain we can help you and satisfy you in all aspects of home remodeling. Refer to our extensive services offered and you are guaranteed to find the service you need to keep your home in good shape or to expand your dreams for the future.

As general contractors, we can convert your house into the layout you desire while always preserving the original integrity. We can create the floor plan you have always desired. We can create a large new living area by converting a basement, garage or attic to livable space. Or lifting your house and building a new garage and living space. Or create the new space you have always dreamed about by adding a single story off the rear or building a second story. Or build that additional bump out needed to make a particular space that convertible area that makes sense.

A house that is experiencing foundation problems caused by soils conditions of either settlement or expansion is not likely to get better as time goes on. The constant cycle and change of dry years than wet years is always causing either shrinking or swelling. And once a foundation is cracked or damaged this condition will usually worsen. Many people feel that when they see their foundation is cracked or looks damaged, the thing to do is to replace it. However one should always have a knowledgeable General Contractor like Mares & Dow Construction & Skylights or one of our Structural Engineers we work with everyday conduct a comprehensive inspection of your foundation and home structure.

Mares & Dow Construction & Skylights has been renovating homes for the past 32 years and we have seen a real shift in how we view our homes now. And with that comes today's homeowners are appreciating there existing home, neighborhood, schools, friends and transportation more. So people are staying put and renovating with careful planning, spending wisely, and most of all building projects that fulfill their families needs and add lasting value if they do wish to move sometime. Home Renovations start with planning.

With more than 37 years experience throughout the San Francisco Bay Area consider Mares & Dow Construction & Skylights for all your contractor, home remodeling, skylights, foundation repairs and home projects needs. We are a General Contractor that will work with you to provide good quality construction services in every design you choose. Whether you are interested in new construction, remodeling, skylights, foundation repair, kitchen, bathroom or home offices. We are always striving to provide a quality product that keeps our customers coming back again.

Mares & Dow Construction & Skylights is a 5-Star Skylight Specialist which is an exclusive group of insured contractors handpicked by VELUX based upon quality, thoroughness and commitment to provide the best job possible. Mares & Dow Construction & Skylights is VELUX'S East Bay and San Francisco's Premier Skylight Specialist. Daylight is the essential element that transforms conventional rooms into the splendid spaces that add value and quality to your home and life. And nothing brings in daylight like a skylight.