Building from the ground up in the Bay Area is a planning job before it is a construction job. Lots are tight, the flatlands sit on clay-rich soil, the hills come with grades and the Hayward Fault, and the City of Oakland reviews every new structure before a shovel goes in the ground. Ramos General Building takes on new construction for homeowners, business owners and general contractors who want one crew responsible from site prep to the final walkthrough.
We bring 10 years of construction work in California to each build, and every new construction project we deliver is covered by our 3-year warranty.
What new construction with Ramos General Building includes
A new build is many trades in a precise order. We plan and run that order so each phase is ready for the next one:
- Site preparation. Clearing, layout and access, with the soil report and the engineer’s foundation design guiding the work.
- Foundation. Forms, reinforcing and concrete placed to the structural plans, then inspected before anything sits on top of it.
- Framing. Walls, floors and roof framing, including the shear walls and hardware that hold a Bay Area building together when the ground moves.
- Dry-in. Roofing, windows, exterior doors and siding, so the interior is protected from the weather.
- Systems. Plumbing, electrical and mechanical rough-ins coordinated with the framing and inspected before walls close.
- Finishes. Insulation, drywall, trim, doors, flooring, cabinets and fixtures, installed to the plans and finish schedule.
How we sequence a ground-up build
Every project starts with a free on-site estimate. We walk the lot, review the plans or the idea, and give you a written scope that lists the work and what is not included. From there the path is the same on every new build:
- Feasibility and plans. Your architect or designer prepares the drawings; we review them for constructability and cost before they go to the city.
- Permits and approvals. New structures in Oakland go through building permit review, and many also go through zoning or design review. All Oakland building permits also require an approved construction waste recycling plan.
- Construction in phases. Foundation, framing, dry-in, rough-ins and finishes, each one closed out with its inspection.
- Walkthrough and warranty. We walk the finished building with you, close the punch list and go over the warranty.
Our full construction process explains each step in more detail.
Building new in Oakland and the East Bay
Local conditions shape a new building as much as the floor plan does:
- Soil. Much of the East Bay flatland sits on clay-bearing sediment that swells and shrinks with moisture. That is why the soil report and the engineer’s foundation design matter so much here.
- Seismic design. The Hayward Fault runs through the Oakland hills. New buildings are designed and inspected to current California seismic standards, and we build the shear walls, hold-downs and connections exactly as drawn.
- Weather. Oakland gets most of its rain from November through April. We plan excavation and foundation work around the wet months whenever the schedule allows.
- Lots. Narrow urban lots and hillside parcels change how materials arrive, where they are stored and how the crew works. We plan access before day one.
Homes, commercial buildings and work for general contractors
We build for homeowners who want a new house or a second unit, for business owners who need a new commercial space, and for general contractors who need a dependable crew on their projects. We do not take public works or city contracts: our work is for private residential and commercial owners.
If you are still deciding between building new and expanding what you have, our home additions page compares the options.