“I worked with John and the Blue Jay team for 2 projects. When I did the first project, my bathroom, I got several quotes and chose Blue Jay because they were the most affordable. I’m so grateful I decided to work with them, not only did they do very high quality work and were easy to coordinate with, but John is creative — when he opened up the walls as part of the project, he noticed that there wasn’t insulation in part of the house and asked if I wanted to bring out an insulation team and arranged that, and he noticed that there was a lot of space behind one wall, and suggested it could make sense to add in built-ins, and helped me work with a woodworker to do that. I loved the bathroom, and it was a no-brainer to consider Blue Jay to redo my kitchen. I similarly met with several contractors, and though others gave me quotes for what I thought I should do, John pushed back and suggested that I spend a bit more and make bigger changes (removing some walls and opening the house more), and I’m so glad I listened to him. The project transformed my house, and I love the result so much. Jose, who was the main person on site leading the project, was amazing to work with. I can’t recommend working with John and his team enough!“
— Julia (Oakland)
“We discovered a serious foundational issue at our rental property in the middle of an unrelated renovation. We were extremely lucky to be referred to John at Blue Jay Construction who responded quickly to inspect and give us a fair estimate. His crew started work and we were so impressed with the quality of the work and the professionalism of his crew. John was hands on throughout the project, sending us updates as they did the work and responding quickly when we had questions or concerns. We have never encountered another contractor who was as responsive and communicative as John. We passed the building inspection on the first try due to the quality of the work and John’s great communication skills with the inspector. We would highly recommend Blue Jay Construction!!“
— Laurie (El Cerrito)
“Simply put, working with John has ruined every other experience of working with a contractor. His work is fantastic, he and his team have great judgment and taste when you’re trying to decide between a few options, the work is fast and moves briskly (which is not the norm in construction projects), and he is super responsive. We worked with John on a gut renovation of two units on a house that is over 120 years old. The gut renovation for each unit was approximately 8 weeks or less per unit, and despite covid complications, there were essentially zero delays. Further, multiple complications arose from construction on such an old house, such as the lift of the house (around 10-12 ft off the ground), working within a tricky envelope, having to change gears due to covid supply chain issues, and changes from me and my husband when we came up with an idea. However, none of these complications slowed work or really increased costs besides the cost itself of the new project. John is very dynamic, flexible, and did not seem bothered at all by roadblocks, but rather seemed to take everything in stride and managed priorities and his team well. Besides being extremely professional, his team is also incredibly friendly, and it is clear that they genuinely enjoy working with each other. Finally, working with John was genuinely joyful and enjoyable, he has a great sense of humor and attitude. I simply cannot recommend working with him more highly.“
— Lillian (Oakland)
“I have known John from Blue Jay Construction for around 10 years now.
Around 2015 I purchased a house in anticipation of my newborn baby. When doing some simple improvements myself, I found out there was major water damage that was superficially patched up. The damage compromised the structural integrity, and I couldn’t ignore it.
My mother found John who was working on a project in the neighborhood. He came in with a reasonable bid and fixed the situation within a reasonable time, on budget, and without adding more headache.
Now, 10 years later I feel truly blessed to know John. Blue Jay is currently working with me again on another project. This time to renovate a property after subpar work was done by others who were clearly in over their heads while I unfortunately paid the cost. John fixed up their mess, dealt with the city, and did whatever needed to be done without excuses. I look forward to finishing this project and to working with Blue Jay on future projects.John’s character must be mentioned as I hold it in high regard in our dealing over the time I’ve known him. I know him to be fair, honest, caring, professional, and a great communicator who strives for self-improvement. John is a stand-up guy who has made my life easier. He has always done his best to help me out and be understanding of my situation.
In the world of construction, I have dealt with many characters. Having an honest and competent professional can make the difference between losing your shirt and having peace of mind and building success.
I would refer John to my own family and friends and could rest assured that if they agreed on a deal, they would be in good hands.
Thank you, John and the Blue Jay Construction team!“
— Swapan (Oakland)
“I can’t say enough great things about John, the owner of Blue Jay Construction, and his incredible team. After interviewing 12 contractors for a major remodel on my home — which included adding more space and constructing an ADU — I chose to work with John, and it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
From the moment we started, John was professional, transparent, and genuinely invested in making sure my vision came to life. His attention to detail and communication throughout the entire project made the process seamless and stress-free. His crew, led by his foreman Jose, were hardworking, respectful, and highly skilled. They were always punctual, kept the job site clean, and completed the project on time and within budget.
Not only was I thrilled with the result, but even my neighbors commented on how polite and considerate John and his team were throughout the construction process. They made sure to minimize any disruption, which was a huge bonus!
I now have a beautiful, expanded home and an ADU that exceeds my expectations, and I couldn’t be happier with the entire experience. I confidently refer John and Blue Jay Construction to anyone in need of a contractor. If you’re looking for someone who’s honest, reliable, and dedicated to delivering top-notch quality, John is your guy!“
— Carla (Montclair)
“I had a great experience hiring Blue Jay Construction for my major kitchen remodel. John offered creative ideas and was easy to communicate with throughout the process. His crew was very efficient with their work. I’m also a repeat customer, as Blue Jay Construction had done another significant project for me previously.“
— Andrew (Oakland)
“I have used Blue Jay Construction on three different types of jobs at three different locations in the past 18 months. They will continue to have my business and confidence because of their professionalism, craftsmanship, honesty and attention to detail.
John and the entire Blue Jay team stayed mindful of my budgets and time frames and kept me apprised of any issues that arose. During a large project in Concord where the roof and structural components were replaced due to dry rot damage, John made several recommendations that not only improved the appearance of the house but also saved me money.
I recommend Blue Jay Construction without hesitation or reservation.“
— Billy (Walnut Creek)
“We have hired Blue Jay Construction to complete several projects in our home. They remodeled our bathroom, installed a new door and side light, revamped our living room, and smoothed the walls in several rooms. We couldn’t be happier with the results!
From the initial consultation to the finishing touches, John understood our vision and provided feedback that improved our overall bathroom design. The entire Blue Jay Construction crew is professional, trustworthy, clean, communicative, and all-around nice people. The quality of the work is outstanding.
When we remodel our kitchen John and his team at Blue Jay will be our first choice.“
— Cat & Coco (El Cerrito)
“John and the Blue Jay team have been great partners on several house projects over the years. Each time that I have had a question on how to fix an issue or design a new aspect to the home, John has been there for me and my family.“
— David (Oakland)
“Blue Jay Construction is great! We are very happy with the construction we had done at our house. John Nicklas is a responsible, hard-working business owner who does excellent, good quality work. John has great ideas and is very easy to communicate with. His staff is well trained, and they pay careful attention to detail. Each aspect of the project was finished in a timely manner and to our satisfaction. We will definitely hire Blue Jay construction again and give them the highest recommendation!“
— Hilary (Richmond Hills)
“John at Blue Jay is a consummate professional. His bid was the clearest & cleanest I’ve ever received. John is not only steeped in the details of his trade, but he’s generous with his time, personable, well organized, and a clear communicator — truly a pleasure to work with! I’d strongly recommend having him bid on your next project!!“
— Joshua (Oakland)
“I’ve had the pleasure of working with Blue Jay Construction on three separate projects, and I can’t say enough about how great the experience has been each time. They handled a major kitchen renovation (including structural work), a full bath addition, and a bath renovation, and I rehired them without hesitation for each project — which says a lot in itself!
What really stood out for us was John’s (the owner) vision and expertise. When we were unsure about design decisions or how best to allocate our budget, John was instrumental in guiding us. His ideas were always spot-on, and we trusted his judgement completely. That level of trust made all the difference, and it’s why I’ve recommended Blue Jay to at least five other families, all of whom have had similarly positive experiences.
Blue Jay also made the permitting process seamless, handling it all with ease. Jose (project manager), crew, and subcontractors were professional, respectful of our schedule, and always left the area clean. Best of all, they managed to keep the project within 10-15% of the original budget, which was impressive.
If you’re looking for a construction team you can trust, especially when navigating big decisions, Blue Jay is the one!“
— Alex (El Cerrito)
“We worked with Blue Jay over 19 months on a significant build to our house which included transforming our downstairs finished basement into a 2-bedroom ADU as well as taking out walls in our upstairs to open up our kitchen and dining room. We are extremely happy with the results and all our guests who have seen the remodel have been very impressed with the work.
I talked to several friends who were also doing remodels with other contracting firms and every one of them had horror stories of the work being completed. That was the exact opposite experience working with John and Blue Jay. The work his crew completed was completely professional, to plan and often better than I could imagine doing myself. There is clearly great pride in their work with the attention given to every detail.
The time and materials approach worked for our project as all the additional time and costs were agreed upon with full accounting of the time and materials spent. While we could have potentially gotten a cheaper deal with another outfit through a fixed bid, this billing made me feel like I knew what I was paying for and the workmanship showed. In fact, I had to mentally stop myself from continually adding to their list of items to do so that I would stick within my own budgets. The key to making this work was setting aside the time to have frequent meetings with John and his foreman to make sure we were continually on the same page and being ready to make decisions on specific items.
I strongly recommend that you work with John and his team. You will end up with a product that you’re going to wonder why you waited so long to do!“
— Mike (El Cerrito)
“Blue Jay Construction is top notch when it comes to home renovations. We had a 100+ year old craftsman in the Berkeley area that they brought life back to. Together with Blue Jay we secured the foundation, created a true basement, reworked the main floor, and built a new kitchen and 3 new bathrooms. That’s on top of a long list that includes drywalling, new windows, new plumbing, new electrical, and full exterior paint. At every step John, José, and the team were there for us, from guidance on structural changes to small details such as knob placement on kitchen cabinets. Their build quality and attention to detail is absolutely superb.“
— Chris (Oakland)
“I have used Blue Jay construction for several remodel projects on two properties and they have been a pleasure to work with. John has always been very communicative about every phase of the job. The quality of the work has been excellent, and pricing has been very competitive. I’ve appreciated that John will break down costs in a clear and understandable way. His crew is solid, organized and always very respectful. I have recommended them to several clients, and they’ve come through with shining stars.“
— Erik (Berkeley)
“We are so grateful to John, Todd, and the whole Blue Jay crew for their incredible guidance and hard work on our home. We hired John as our contractor for several projects ranging from small (e.g., installing overhead lights) to large (e.g., converting an open part of the house into a closed room with doors, and building a deck). John was incredibly responsive and warm in his communication. We know next to nothing about home renovation, and John was a supportive guide and was happy to weigh in when we weren’t sure of our plans. He was respectful of our wishes, and collaborative with other service providers when we had multiple kinds of work happening simultaneously. John and his crew were very professional, communicative, and understanding, which was particularly important to us because we work from home and sometimes did so while construction was being done. Todd was also immensely helpful, and our kids knew him by name when he came by to help with all sorts of house projects during this time. John and his crew are reliable, knowledgeable, and kind. I highly recommend Blue Jay Construction!“
— Annie (El Cerrito)
“We recently hired Blue Jay Construction for a master suite renovation, and we are beyond impressed with their work. The quality of craftsmanship was exceptional, with every detail thoughtfully executed to create a space that exceeded our expectations. Their expertise was evident throughout the project, as they offered practical, creative solutions that elevated the overall design.
What truly stood out was their excellent communication and problem-solving skills. They kept us informed at every step and were quick to address any challenges. For decisions requiring our input, they patiently walked us through the options, ensuring we felt confident in the choices we made. Their professionalism, knowledge, and commitment to delivering a flawless result make Blue Jay Construction a contractor we would enthusiastically recommend to anyone.“
— Doug (El Cerrito)
