Federal Building Company specializes in residential interior remodeling including kitchens, baths, whole house remodels and room additions. Other residential work includes seismic reinforcement, drainage, foundation work and painting. As a design/build company FBC provides a complete package to the homeowner who prefers one company to be responsible for the design and the implementation of the work. FBC also works with clients who desire to perform certain aspects of the work themselves.*

OUR HISTORY
The company was started as "Federal Modernization and Building Company" by a gentleman named Max Pinsley who came to California to sell siding products. The company evolved into primarily a remodeling company and apartment house builder / developer / owner. Max's son, David Pinsley assumed the helm in the late 1960's. The current president, Larry Hayden, came to the company in 1974 and became the sole shareholder in 1987.

HOW WE WORK
The vast bulk of our work is from referrals. A lesser amount from "drive-bys" - i.e., from people driving by our office/showroom and calling for an appointment. We respond to phone inquiries about our work by directing prospective clients to this website to answer most their questions. They can read client letters and view project photos. We encourage them to complete the information on the contact us page and return it to us right from this site.
We then respond within 24 hours with a protocol about scheduling a preliminary meeting at our office to discuss, in more detail, FBC's process and the clients' project. After this initial office meeting there is often a follow up meeting on-site wherein space planning and design ideas are exchanged. Tentative scheduling and a prospective budget discussion complete this meeting.
To officially place the clients' project into the FBC queue, a retainer agreement is prepared for the clients' authorization, containing a scope of work, ballpark budget and current fee schedule. Our fee schedule reveals that we price our work without marking up our cost on materials and subcontracted work. We only mark up the cost of our labor. This makes it easier for clients to choose better quality materials or use some of the extraordinary local crafts persons without there being a double mark up; i.e., the price FBC pays for these materials and crafts or trades persons is the price you pay.
Subsequently the project manager and a designer and/or an architect and/or an engineer return to the site to photograph and measure the as-built structure. As built plans are drawn and suggestions to answer the clients' needs are prepared for an initial design meeting with the clients to hone in on the plan required.
From a few, to many, meetings follow until the conceptual phase is complete and the pre construction work of selecting all the materials and finishes is also complete. Construction documents including detailed plans and a detailed cost plan are prepared and then reviewed. Long lead time materials are ordered, local building department approvals obtained and the project is scheduled to start.



* Most, but not all of the projects are turn-key in nature wherein everything is provided for by FBC. Occasionally the clients want to participate to provide "sweat equity" or expertise of their own. FBC is completely responsible for the outcome of the project and strives to make the goals of cost, quality and time work to everyone's satisfaction.

License No. 285785