Branko Kruslin

Having been through a major remodel, Branko is the best contractor/​painter I’ve found. I only wish I found him sooner. He’s reliable, has great integrity, and does things right the first time. The other reviewers are spot on when describing him. He provides other solutions on how to save costs and explains to you the full scope of the problem if it’s not straight forward. His estimates are exact and the quality of his work is instantly noticeable. He is on time, always leaves behind a clean jobsite, does what he says he will do, when he says he will do it, and charges what he says it will cost. And the work always comes out amazing.

Branko did a combination of several door installations, including a more complicated french double door, and painting for several rooms. He is really quite awesome.
I interviewed several people from Unilocal.Branko was really good about returning calls and showing up on time, both when giving and estimate for the job and during the job. He put the most thought into the job and I could tell he was about getting the job right, not just getting it done. He did what I asked but also was proactive about suggesting changes or improvements that either improved the design or saved me money. Originally I was going to do pocket doors, which he was happy to do, but suggested that I’d save a lot of money and hassle by doing swinging doors. After thinking this through, I agreed with him, and that probably save me several thousand dollars in labor and materials.
He takes a lot of pride in his workmanship and really wants you to be happy and to do a quality job. He can be particular, but I think he is almost always right. He pointed out when a couple of my doors were warped, and while I wasn’t sure if he was right at first, the manufacturer came out to inspect them and agreed with him. He was able to call in an electrician when needed. He also has really good suggestions on where to source materials.
Branko is awesome. My wife and I are extremely happy we found him.

I am a residential interior designer and have worked with Branko Kruslin on both personal and professional projects for over 10 years. His attention to detail is impeccable and his loyalty is outstanding. He always follows through on the job and will provide troubleshooting when necessary. He is consistently on time and enjoys a good challenge. He has good resources, and if he doesn’t know how to solve a task, he will explore solutions and discuss with the client first before implementing. He offers creative answers to unconventional problems. He has his general contractor’s license, and for me has completed projects that include painting, wallpapering, plumbing, electrical, tile and countertop installation, demolition and construction, and simple handyman jobs. I would highly recommend him for your small or mid-​size job.

Branko is a man of his word: when you meet with him, he will review your projects, point out what to expect and then, detail everything you agree upon in writing. When he says he starts a project at such time on such day, you’d better be ready: he’ll be there. Always courteous, prepared, always a clean job and jobsite.
Every permit inspection was passed the first time around.
That’s for the construction/​repair site. He is also a very skilled painter. Let’s face it: how many time does one paint the inside of his/​her home while living in it? Might as well do it well for all those years to come.
Another quality I value is his honesty: if he can’t/won’t do it, he’ll tell you. If something is not worth repairing or modifying, he’ll tell you too. If there is a way for you to save some money, he says so.
Regarding his fees, the saying «you get what you pay for» is certainly true. He is not the highest, he is not the cheapest but he is the best one.
Simply put: he has my complete trust. I refer him to clients who have similar expectations as I do.

I cannot say enough good things about the quality and integrity of Branko’s work. We recently purchased a short sale home in the South Bay that was in desperate need of some updating. In under two weeks Branko (and his very competent colleague) worked tirelessly to completely gut and remodel our bathroom, paint our entire house from wall to ceiling, fix our plumbing issues, install and fix our doors, and put in some gorgeous recess lighting in the kitchen. And did I mention he did this all in UNDER two weeks?!
He also is very honest and gave us lots of options to cut costs due to our budget constraints (such as directly purchasing our own materials, recommending quality materials that were reasonably priced etc.). Not to mention he HAND painted our entire house without the use of painter’s tape and a sprayer in order to ensure precise lines. Our house looks amazing !
Best,
Diana and David

Branko is an all-​star — totally trustworthy, detail-​oriented, reliable and multi-​talented. He will treat your home like it’s his own. He can handle just about anything. (He did extensive renovations on our house that included moving walls, installing a new kitchen, painting, electrical, plumbing etc.) Renovations can be stressful — Branko plays a huge part in reducing that through his competence and integrity.

I am very happy with the work Branko has done on my home. I echo a lot of what other reviewers said: on time, eye for color and design, meticulous, takes pride in what he’s doing.
We’re in the middle of a job, so far he’s painted all my new windows and finished the walls, trim and lights in 1 room. We gave little direction on where to place the lights, but they came out great with where he decided to place them. The fact that he can do electrical work is great and he holds a high standard, making each piece changeable at a future time.
He’s very smart and experience which came out as he described all the options to me clearly. He described the work needed to do a great job or a complete five-​star job with the different parts of each room and I selected what I was willing to really go all-​out for. The «great» job I’m very happy with in the bedroom and I look forward to the five-​star (full wall smoothing) job in the living room.
He knows his craft well. I had a transition line from one color paint to the next and I asked how he did it so smoothly, ie with masking tape? He said he did it by hand because masking time pulls the paint under it.
I agree that his prices are good for the quality work he does. I am working with him through my interior designer, Melody Rubin (
), and he isn’t super cheap, but knowing everything he is doing and seeing the quality results convinced me it’s worth it. He’s able to give you good-​enough options for rooms where you want improvement but are more cost conscious.
Another thing I appreciate is that Branko thinks long term. He told me about a few options that would look good for months, even years, but would fade/​chip faster than the option he proposed.
Anyways, I am really happy with his work and sincerely hope I can help others find a great painter the first time around on Unilocal

Branko is fantastic! I had several small-​ish projects I wanted done: removing wallpaper in and repainting three bathrooms and the kitchen, plus removing carpet and laying tile in two bathrooms.
Probably not the cheapest contractor (I received a lower quote), but his quote was very thorough and his approach was very comprehensive and professional. He and his team were prompt (7:30 AM every day!) and the project was finished on time and on budget. In addition to his skills as a contractor, he also has a good eye for color; he made recommendations for paint and tile that are stunning!
Branko suggested a few other things I could do while he was there that would save me money. For example, Branko had to remove the toilets in the two bathrooms to lay the tile; he suggested that the old toilets could be replaced with new water-​efficient ones (which ended up being free since the water district had a rebate on them). He even picked up the new toilets from two different Home Depots and disposed of the old ones (plus a load of misc. garage trash while he was at it).
What a fantastic job! Thanks, Branko.

I was first introduced to Branko by Electrician Chris Borg. I needed some painting and repair work done on a kitchen wall. Chris said Branko was very talented and did very good work.
I’m happy to say that it’s true — Branko is a very talented general contractor — repair work, painting, plastering, and remodeling. He is very detailed in his work — he is one of those craftsmen that feels each job he does reflects upon him.
Branko isn’t a contractor that will skip steps to make a job cheaper. His quotes are fair and reflect the amoutn of work it will take to do the job to the degree that you’re guaranteed to be happy with. It may be more expensive than another contractor, but that’s probably because the other guy you got a quote from is skipping steps to have a bigger profit.
Branko is very adept at looking at a room, making recommendations about the most efficient and best way to get what you want done, and extimating costs and time it will take. He has correctly diagnosed water leaks as well as earthquake damage for me, as well as identifying areas which were shoddily or inadequately repaired.
Branko also does remodeling work — from minor to major. His work will add value to your home, as well as making it more comfortable and a brighter place to live. I’ve recommended him to my landlord and my family — and they’re also very happy with his work.
Branko can be flexible with his schedule — while he lives in Redwood City, he has done multiple jobs in Burlingame, Menlo Park, South San Francisco, Daly City, Palo Alto, etc.