Labourdette Construction remodels kitchens and bathrooms for residential clients throughout Sonoma County. The company takes a full-service approach to construction that allows it to handle every aspect of its customers’ projects, from the initial designs and permits to the finishing touches.
Owner Steve Labourdette says much of Labourdette Construction’s success is due to great customer service and high-quality workmanship. “From cabinets to countertops and framing to flooring and everything in between, our remodels are beautifully built to exacting standards. Everything we do is geared toward fulfilling our clients’ needs and making their homes more functional and beautiful.”
“Our mission is to utilize high-quality workmanship and exceptional service to take our customers' projects from vision to reality. We want to cultivate long-lasting relationships with our customers and fashion their projects into beautiful, functional pieces of self-expression.”
When taking on a remodeling project, make sure you choose the right wood.
It may seem like a small detail, but selecting the right wood is one of the most important decisions you can make during a remodeling project. Different types of wood have different advantages and disadvantages in terms of aesthetics, quality and durability, so it’s crucial to do your homework and get the right wood for your specific needs. Consider the following information:
Exterior choices
When choosing wood for patios, siding or railings, the most important attribute to look for is moisture resistance—it can affect the life span of an outdoor wood structure by a decade or more. “The invariable result of using wood that isn’t appropriate for the outdoors is rotting and premature deterioration,” explains Steve Labourdette, owner of Labourdette Construction in Sebastopol. “Different woods have different levels of natural rot resistance, regardless of how they’re treated, so it’s important to choose one that’s well-equipped to withstand the elements. For example, cedar and redwood are better options than Douglas fir because they possess natural tannins that provide good rot resistance.”
Interior choices
Free from the weather-related restrictions of exterior woodwork, the spectrum of wood choices for interior remodeling projects is comparatively broad. In addition to more common species such as spruce, oak, Douglas fir, redwood and pine, there are many lesser known varieties like hickory, alder and zebrawood. Since the possibilities are so vast, choosing wood can be overwhelming for homeowners who don’t have the benefit of a carpenter’s expertise. That’s why it’s a good idea to do some independent research or seek the advice of a knowledgeable contractor before choosing a type of wood for your interior remodeling project.
Along with the obvious factor of price, you should also consider the nature of your project when choosing a type of wood. For example, if you’re planning to stain the wood a certain color, you should pick a type that readily accepts stain, like alder or oak. Mr. Labourdette also recommends using what’s already in your home. “That way, you’ll have wood that’s cohesive in terms of the overall impression your house gives,” he says. “You don’t want your woodwork to look like patchwork.”
Maintaining customer satisfaction is a crucial aspect of any business, but it’s even more important for remodeling contractors that have earned the prestigious Diamond Certified award. For Labourdette Construction, the key to achieving and maintaining high levels of customer satisfaction is simple: take a comprehensive approach to each project that allows it to maintain control throughout every phase of the building process. “We have journeyman and master level experience in all the building trades, which means we can seamlessly handle client changes,” says owner Steve Labourdette. “Our ability to handle our clients’ needs really makes us stand out. We listen closely to their ideas and utilize our knowledge and experience to create their new spaces. When a client’s project comes together, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts because of our expert orchestration of their vision.”
Labourdette Construction has been remodeling kitchens and bathrooms, building patios and room additions, and providing general construction services for residential clients throughout Sonoma County and Novato since 1999 (Steve’s remodeling experience goes back to 1989). The company is known for its customer-oriented business practices, which include pulling permits, customizing its services to meet specific budgets, and using all its resources to focus on each client’s unique needs.
Unlike remodeling contractors that lack the capabilities to design construction projects, Labourdette Construction’s versatile expertise enables it to keep every project in-house from the beginning stages. “Our ability to provide design services saves our customers money and allows us to organize jobs in the most cost-effective ways possible,” explains Mr. Labourdette. “By setting our clients’ expectations, we’re best-suited to meet and exceed what they’re expecting. The result is a more beautiful, affordable remodel. Also, this expertise allows us to bring any architect’s or designer’s plans to realistic fruition.”
To further differentiate itself from its competition, Labourdette Construction provides every project with the hands-on expertise of Mr. Labourdette himself. “I don’t just stay in the office and delegate work to my employees—I’m with them on the jobsite, overseeing every detail and taking part in the process,” he says.
Ultimately, Labourdette Construction’s number one concern is taking care of its clients and making sure every product, trade technique and management aspect is geared toward quality. “There’s no larger part of a remodeling project than the labor that goes into building it,” says Mr. Labourdette. “We have a relentless drive to ensure every move we make counts toward beauty, function and longevity.”
