BuildASofa

I’m rating Build a Sofa «A-​OK. Morgan was very helpful in the process of choosing materials and sofa style. My sofa was delivered as promised by two very nice guys who were very careful in bringing it in to my house. the sofa looks and feels great. I’ve had it about 3 days now and the medium density cushions are very stiff still because they are brand new. I presume they’ll soften over time.
I have to mention however that it was odd that I got a call on a Saturday from the manager in which he told me that «The prices of everything has gone up, the mills, the manufacturer» etc. I told him that I had already gotten a price quote for the additional arm rest covers i’d ordered for the sofa. Luckly i was able to produce the email that had the quote in it for the additional costs. In my opinion, you do not call your customer and tell them, after they’ve made and paid for a substantial order, that the prices of everything has gone up. it didn’t make sense and seemed like that if I wouldn’t have had the proof if my quote that he would have tried to overcharge me. it just seemed shady to throw out a blanket statement that «everything has gone up».
The owner himself called me to smooth over this and some other ‘shady’ stuff that went on. He seems to genuinely understand that there’s at least 5 different similar businesses in the bay area i could have gone to and was glad that i’d choosen Build a sofa.
The ordering process– 5 stars
Customer service from Morgan 5 stars
Sofa delivered as promised — 5 stars
quality of product– 4.5 stars
Other than the questionable interaction with the store manager i recommend this business and am very satisfied with the end product.

Two years later, we’re loving our couch more than ever. It’s wearing well, the cushions have softened just enough, and we’ve experienced the relative ease of taking off the cushion covers to wash them (we selected a machine washable fabric because we have pets– great recommendation!).

Great selection of designs, fabrics, and cushions. Staff is knowledgeable and helpful without being pushy. Showroom floor is helpful for visualizing your couch and testing cushion firmness.
Prices are reasonable. Half your payment due as a deposit and the remaining half is due upon delivery. It took 6 weeks for our custom sectional to arrive, as promised.
Love our new couch!

Terrible customer service — I need a modification to a sofa they sold me a few years ago, and they can’t/won’t do it. They have changed manufacturers, so if your sofa was built by their previous supplier, you are totally out of luck. I bought my sofa because I wanted it custom to my needs, and I wanted to work with a local business that cares about its customers. I don’t feel cared about — I feel they’ve left me high and dry with my problem and don’t seem at all sorry about it.

STILL 5 STARS! I just ordered another sofa from them 6 years later and they STILL ROCK! Memo was fantastic, helped me through the process of selection and made sure that they made exactly what I wanted to my specifications. The delivery was on time for my family gathering, and I have a beautiful new sofa in my place!!! Also, their delivery company was fantastic– they actually arrived early, and were in and out in less than 30 minutes after climbing my stairs and getting my sofa into my narrow SF apt. Excellent customer service all around. I highly recommend them, yet again!!!

I am so excited for our new couch. My boyfriend and I were replacing our old sectional and did a ton of research before committing to BuildASofa. (Aka we sat in a lot of couches).
We walked in last month and met with Jay who was super friendly, helpful, informative, and not pushy. He was very passionate about his job and excited to talk about all details couch. He answered our questions and left us to sit on couches and discuss. We fell in love with a floor model that was rumored to be going on sale in month. Jay took our number and called us the day it did. We came down to the store and Jay worked with us on final logistics.
We’re having it delivered later this week. Jay just sent a follow up email to make sure we were all set. EXCELLENT customer service. Great price. And the couch is exactly what we’re looking for. (Dark grey Raymond)

I ordered my couch for my new digs before I moved in and was also renovating the kitchen and 2 bathrooms. I had to postpone having the couch delivered because the renovation was behind schedule. No problem. I asked to have it delivered today in a 1 PM to 3 PM period. It arrives and 1:15. They guys bring it up (2 flights of stairs), set it up and now I’m sitting on my wonderful new, extremely comfortable, beautifully made sofa. Listen up. There are some people who are never satisfied with anything and you have to learn to figure out who they are and ignore them.
These «negative» reviews are questionable at best because the customer service was extraordinary. The product — fantastic. The price– cheaper than Macy’s and far superior. And– two extra pillows with some great shopping bags thrown in, not to mention thoughtful and caring people at the store.
Thanks Marissa– I’ll be back for a made to order storage ottoman soon.
(How about making desks, chairs and tables?)
:)

BUYER BEWARE — We purchased a nice little sofa 8 months ago from this company, and getting lots of compliments. Unfortunately I suggested them to everyone. Now I have to eat my words!
3 weeks ago I was turning over the cushions to break it in and noticed one of the cushions seams has come apart. I immediately contacted the store and was told by the sales agent Jay to send him a photo, he would have a new cover made for just the one cushion since it was still under warranty. I did so the same day, then had to contact him 2 weeks later to see what he found out and said he would check on it.
Today we just received an email stating … that he got a response from the manufacturer that they will not replace just 1 cover because the material I choose to use created this problem… OK…why then do they sell the material or why did they not mention it to me. It’s not the material it’s the seam was cut to short since none of the other cushions have this issue. Jay actually told us to find a company to resew it at our expense!!!
So BEWARE, they do not stand by their product, but I am having the pleasure of telling everyone I know about staying away from this company.

The BEST place to buy a sofa-​bed, sleeper sofa (whatever you call them)! We’ve downsized recently with one of our kids going to college and another not far behind so we needed a fold-​out sofa for an office/​bedroom. Most fold-​out sofas are horrible as beds and mediocre as a sofa. We didn’t want one of those quasi-​futon sofa bed things. We wanted a real sofa with a queen sized bed. We checked out all the typical places (R&B, C&B, Jenn, LZB, Ik) but either the quality was so-​so or the price was was insane. Then we went to Build A Sofa.
We had bought 3 very nice sofas from a place called Custom House about 8 or 9 years ago and they were still in excellent shape. One of them was a sectional AND a fold-​out queen bed too that we had given to a family member when we downsized. I would say all three were the most comfortable sofas we had ever owned and would have liked to buy there again but Custom House wasn’t around any more.
Turns out that Build A Sofa is the same outfit with a new name. Still the same great quality. All oak frame and metal springs. These things will take little kids jumping on them and teenagers flopping down on them. We went there just to buy a sofa-​bed and ended up buying a sofa-​bed and two more regular sofas. The two sofas we had bought there before were still in great shape but we were tired of the color. Time for a change!
Do yourself a favor and choose the fabric that you can throw in the washing machine especially if you have kids and dogs.

This place rocks. My husband and I bought our sectional there about 5 years ago. Its super comfortable — I can’t say how many people have told us its the most comfortable couch. We got extra firm cushions. Its held up lovely. We were impressed by their friendly customer service when we went to look at their furniture and from the folks that delivered the couch. Great service from start to finish. Oh and the price was great, too. There is no way you can get the same great quality at the same price at other stores. We have a big «super» family room and it was great having the ability to design the couch ourselves from the fabric, cushion depth, cushion firmness, fabrics etc. without breaking the bank.
Recently we had an accident involving our dog and had to get a cushion replaced. We called build a sofa and they quickly pulled up our record and helped us by offering cleaning suggestions (so awesome that you can take the covers off and wash in your machine!). My husband and I knew we wanted to get a new cushion and they were able to order it for us and help us save money by giving us the option to pick up the cushion ourselves to save on delivery fees. They are a family run business and treat their customers like family. They truly want their customers to be happy.
We already know we want to add a chair to our family room someday and we will for sure be back at Build a Sofa!

Initially, we liked the place. They were busy but helpful. We received the sofa and ottoman and liked it (although the firm and soft variation was too firm and too soft in comparison and while that was my poor decision making, it would have been nice to have been forewarned).
After receiving it, we located it in our lesser used room and having used it far less than our less expensive Ashley sofa (which we’ve owned for years longer), it shows signs of wear on the armrest and the ottoman stitches have come undone. When purchasing, we asked for the most durable fabric. This fabric is low quality.
It was just over a year ago and we contacted the company. They told us to have an upholster fix it as they’d charge for shipping and repair.
Conclusion: not inexpensive, poor selection assistance (I’m not dinging them significantly for that one), poor quality and misleading lifetime warranty. Frames never fail. Don’t buy a sofa here! There are some great quality brands but this is not one of them. You may see it on Craigslist free stuff soon.

One of the worst, and most expensive, purchasing experiences I have ever had. We spent HOURS in their showroom going through choices and while we were there they were seemingly helpful. We thought we were willing to spend so much money to get exactly what we ordered. We tested the fabric samples for durability before finalizing the order and received their advice.
Unfortunately, as soon as the order was placed it was trouble from then on. It took weeks of calling them to get any updates on the status, and they kept missing the dates they were giving us for completion and delivery. But that is not the worst of it.
The couches themselves initially looked very nice but are poor quality and have worn poorly. The foam and shapes are very deflated, the ottoman looks to me like a melting mushroom.
The upholstery material we selected and ordered in the showroom was clearly not the material we received. I had even mentioned to the guy taking our order that what he wrote looked generic. The material we received looks a similar color but is made of paper-​thin plastic and within hours of delivery had punctured. It was not the durable thick material we had selected in the showroom.
The delivery guy, the same guy who took my order, was late when he delivered it and was in a hurry to go and refused to acknowledge that the material was wrong and told me I would have to call. I called over months and they always refused to acknowledge that the material was wrong, they wouldn’t even discuss it. We decided to try to live with it but the punctures started immediately and kept getting worse. We asked them for advice on patching the material and they said they would give us info but would never call or write us back. We kept calling back but they never gave us any help.
If I had to do it again, I would have refused delivery and demanded a refund through our credit card company. The material appears to be irreparable and we are embarrassed to have people over. The cost to reupholster would be exorbitant. It is a constant source of depression for me.
I just don’t want others to make the same mistakes we did. I do not ever recommend them as a business, both on the lack of quality on their expensive products and also on the total lack of respect I received as a customer once the sofas had been ordered.

We have been searching for quite some time for a new sofa/​sectional for our flat. Living in an older building the rooms are sometimes challenging to fit modern furniture and style. We checked out places like Room and Board and other furniture shops, but no one had the configuration we wanted to create.
We found Build-​a-​Sofa on line and started looking and realized that a custom sofa/​sectional may be the only way to go. And guess what it’s easy, affordable and you really get exactly what you want for you room.
We selected a sectional that had a rounded back and a pair of chairs, that allowed us to have more physical seating than our previous couch, love seat, chair, combination, yet had a lower profile and was very style based. The fabric choices were amazing and we could pick the color of our wood stain as well. The staff was helpful, allowing us to take fabric swatches home and making the entire process easy to work through.
The sofa was ordered and arrived in a shorter amount of time than they said, and the delivery team was friendly and efficient and we are loving everything about our new sofa.
I contacted Build-​A-​Sofa about getting an extra set of brackets to hold the sectional together and they were quick about sending them over and I was able to install them to make the sectional extremely strong and sturdy. I expect a lot of years of enjoyment.

We ordered our custom sectional and ottoman last week and got fantastic service. Anika really knows her stuff!
We went in with specific desires and with a number of questions. Anika helped us get clear about what we wanted. I brought photos, sketches, and measurements of our space and Anika gave very practical suggestions/​recommendations that didn’t increase the price tag. Helped us determine the proper size ottoman and pick out the perfect fabric from their huge selection.
We spent less on a sectional to exactly fit our space than we would have spent on any of the pre-​fab sofas we had previously looked at. Plus we caught the end of their sale and got 20% off the entire deal. Sweet. We left the store very happy.
Looking forward to receiving the sofa in about 4 weeks.
Great that they have parking for customers. Easy to get in and out of their location in the city.

*Update
Over a month later, I finally received a call the day my under-​stuffed cushions arrived!
The sales associate called to:
1. Ensure my cushions arrived… Duh!
2. Blame a co-​worker for her bad customer service… Really?
3. Ask me to remove my review because it «wasn’t her fault.»…ROTFL
Sorry Build-​a-​Sofa, I don’t like you anymore.

So… overall I was left disappointed, mainly with the customer service.
I went in on more than one occasion to make a good decision. I finally made a decision, ordered the sectional, and started the wait.
Twelve days later, I get an email from them for their 20% off your order Presidents Weekend Sale. When I called to inquire if they would honor it, they told me they had no control, to contact someone via the website. So I did. Email, phone. No return communication. They totally avoid you once they have your money.
I do love my sofa. It arrived in only 2.5 weeks.
So, 5 stars for the quality. 3 stars for the price. 1 star for the awful customer service. Thanks for getting back to me JERKS!
Update 4 – 10. I did finally get an email back from the owner yesterday after he read my Unilocal review. No changes as far as the price goes, but he did respond. Its unfortunate that the response was to my Unilocal review and not my email that I sent. For those that want a response, dont email the company website, email him directly (email address was apparently on my receipt).

We needed a looooong couch – 8 feet to be precise – and it quickly dawned on us that the only way we were going to get one was by having it made for us. At first the idea of custom furniture immediately sounded very expensive – as would anything with the word «custom» in it – but we couldn’t have been more wrong.
We found the selection of couches to be pretty good. I’m not sure if they have something for everyone but my wife and I are very finicky and found something we liked in the fourth or fifth floor sample closest to the door. Fabric options were also abundant and we actually spent most of our time trying to eliminate choices.
Service was very good and we really felt that we were the only people in the store while the saleswoman helped us. We didn’t even know that they were having a 20% off sale when we visited and there wasn’t much signage up announcing this but the saleswoman mentioned it as she was writing up our final bill and it saved us hundreds. We were already sold on the couch at that point and she definitely knew it because we told her as much. I don’t know that every store would be that honest.
The couch arrived well within the window given to us at purchase and was delivered by a very nice, professional young man. Really, given some of our recent experiences trying to furnish our new home, Buildasofa was probably the easiest transaction of them all. If you’re not seeing what you want out there, definitely give this place a shot.

I was pretty disappointed in my visit to Build A Sofa. I expected some high end sofas since its custom made. But instead all I found were some cheap feeling sofas. Maybe my expectations were too high? After reading the reviews on Unilocal,I thought this place would be comparable to a store in Chicago (Domicile – where my sofa was custom made). But it wasnt. I was shocked that they were charging such high prices for the sofas too! (floor models were a lot cheaper, but thats because everyone has sat on them!). The sales associate was nice and offered to help if we needed anyone. Unfortunately we didnt take her up on the offer because nothing in the store appealed to us.
On the plus side, they have a mini parking lot (enough to fit 3 cars) so you dont have to look for street parking.

I never would have thunk it, but Unilocal was instrumental in helping me buy a sofa.
In short, we needed a new sofa and side chair for our TV room, but our «usual place» in San Mateo had closed. Enter the Unilocal search function, followed by the 5-​star rating for Build a Sofa. Whoa… Impressive.
Great web site — We could see all the choices and narrow them down before we arrived.
Great selection — Per the name, we were able to design our own sofa, including style, fabric and feet.
Excellent service — Attentive but not pushy in the least; there was no chair in the couch line that we wanted, but the owner was able to find one in another line that matched the styling well; She also has an eye for color and stepped in at the right time to help with that.
Parking — Sucked! but they did have a tiny side lot (two cars wide), and they let me use it for an extended period so I could grab lunch while the wife was in transit.
The end result was the couch and chair we wanted, at a reasonable price, delivered all the way down to Redwood City several weeks later, at no extra charge. Now if I can just get the kids to stop climbing on the arms and back, all will be perfect.

Needed a sofa to replace my 20 year old sofa
Due to a small house, I am very specific about the size of my sofa. Anyway, found this place on the web and went to look. They had a reasonable amount of designs to choose from. Not a lot, not a little. Saw what I wanted and ordered what I needed in terms of material and a specific width.
Overall, pretty simple and 2 weeks later they deliver my nice sofa with the firm cushion foam.
Cost wise, it’s no different from the expensive retailers, and best of all, this is customizable.