Jim Johnston and his fantastic team of real pros worked hard and  transformed an aging dark cramped bathroom space into an absolutely beautiful modern miracle. We hired Jim and his wife Day as a designer and her ideas and creativity created the magic. We had a great experience with back-and-forth communication throughout the process. Each of the subcontractors were master craftsmen. They all took great pride in their work and genuinely wanted us to be happy. We could not be happier with the finished product and cannot recommend them highly enough.

We retained Jim and his team at The Carmel Guild to complete the remodel of our kitchen In Pacific Grove. Our Kitchen was really showing its age and needed a complete overhaul. My wife and I completed the sourcing of the cabinets, flooring, appliances, and fixtures we wanted. However, we were stuck on the components of the backsplash and countertops. Jim and his wife Day came to the rescue. Day showed us several viable options and it was off to the races. From demolition to completion, Jim and his crew were courteous, clean and professional. The project was during the worst of the pandemic, and I was still able to work from home during the day. The project was completed quickly and according to the pre-arranged schedule. Even though we didn’t arrange for the appliances through Jim, he helped us solve several problems that occurred with delivery and manufacturer damage. He went the extra mile. We would recommend The Carmel Guild.

We are highly satisfied by the services provided to us by Jim Johnston’s Carmel Guild company. Jim and his son Devin are highly organized, punctual, honest and a pleasure to deal with. They worked tirelessly to make sure that we would get exactly what we wanted. The result exceeded our expectations. Our two bathrooms are now high end due to the exceptional craftsmanship of all the subcontractors The Carmel Guild uses. All the services were rendered timely, and we were notified when the contractors would arrive. Due to Covid some of the products were delayed or arrived damaged. Jim and Devin took care of all the exchanges and arranged replacement when needed. We would recommend without any doubt The Carmel Guild company for any construction remodeling work.

I am writing this letter to recommend the Carmel Guild to anyone who is looking for a contractor to do quality bathroom renovation work. My bathroom renovation project consisted of completely making over a 60+ year old bathroom and adding another half bath. I began the project by asking a neighbor of mine, who was in the process of renovating his kitchen, if he would recommend his contractor.
My neighbor said that he was pleased with the work and the contractor, so when I was ready to start my bathroom project, I gave Jim Johnston a call at Carmel Guild. Upon meeting Jim, he demonstrated to me that he had a depth of knowledge about construction in the Monterey Peninsula area and bathroom renovations. His oral proposal was acceptable, so he drew up a written proposal package and contract, then gave me what he called my “homework.” It laid out what I needed to select, what he would provide, the budgeted costs and labor.
My selecting the various items needed for the job was a time consuming, educational exercise. The internet and local home supply stores became the source for ordering the bathroom fixtures and other supplies. Jim was a big help because he has the construction expertise and patience to answer my countless questions. There was a lack of availability for some bathroom items, mostly because of shipping issues, so I had to find alternatives.
The Carmel Guild has a regular team of people to do the work, i.e., carpentry, plumbing, tile, plastering, painting, etc. With few inconveniences, I found the subcontractors to be skilled in their trades, on time and courteous. This was important to me especially since my husband and I were living in the house during all this construction. The finished results of the bathroom reconstruction and some other add-on work was beautiful and functional.
I would consider having the Carmel Guild do more work around my older home, and I recommend that if you have a home project that needs to be done, go with the Carmel Guild. You will be happy with the results.

I want to thank you and your workers for helping to make my dream come true for a large walk-in closet and master bath upgrade. You have a talented crew that did excellent work!

Jim and his team, The Carmel Guild, executed the remodel of my kitchen and bath. Two old, outdated areas have been transformed into beautiful, functional spaces. They were thorough, knowledgeable and reliable in their work. Day has a gift for creative design and use of space. They also built a nice outdoor “Catio” space to allow my pets to enjoy the outdoors. They compose a professional team that approaches each job with care and attention to detail.

We had our kitchen remodeled by Jim Johnston of The Carmel Guild last year and have been very happy with the results. He was of great assistance in navigating the supply chain issues of the pandemic as well as helping us stay close to our budget during a time of rapidly changing prices.
One of the best aspects of Jim’s approach is his not doing any demolition until he receives everything that is needed. Cabinets, appliances, fixtures etc.; were on site which significantly reduced the time we were without a kitchen. Jim’s subcontractors are excellent, professional, courteous and punctual. If Jim says the Plumber will be there tomorrow at ten to install the dishwasher and garbage disposal, the Plumber will be there at ten and all work will be done as promised.

If you need bathroom remodeling or new interior doors in your home call James Johnston at The Carmel Guild. I am one of people they were sent to. They do remodel work and are very professional and knowledgeable of their craft. I am very happy with my bathroom and interior doors.

We first used Jim Johnston of The Carmel Guild in February 2014. He was the Contractor we used to renovate a two-bedroom, one-and-a-half-bathroom investment condo in Salinas.
They completely renovated and modernized the kitchen area, a downstairs half bath, windows throughout the condo, and the upstairs bathroom.
His wife Day consulted with us about interior choices of paint, tile, countertops, and fixtures.
The results are a beautifully coordinated look that exactly fit our desire for a more updated but casual feeling. They did a great job.
We decided to hire them later that year to renovate a 1950s home in Monterey (before we moved in). We couldn’t have been more pleased with the care, quality and craftsmanship The Carmel Guild brought to our project. The house had not been updated in decades and needed renovation and in some cases redesign. Jim and Day helped design four bedrooms, three full baths and various parts of living areas from floor to ceiling. Including new custom-made windows.
Jim listened to our needs and preferences for the redesigned house. He very carefully detailed a clear plan for improvements
with drawings to help us visualize the design. He even proposed a few features and considerations that we hadn’t even thought about. But that we now love in the house.
Day consulted with us again about choices for the interior. The results were beautiful and greatly enhanced the look and feel of our home. We enjoyed the home for a few years and then decided to use Jim and Day again to transform our landscape.
Together we transformed our Monterey house from “overgrown woodlands” to a beautiful outdoor living space in the backyard.
This involved construction of a large flagstone patio, a wonderful pergola, pathways, installation of low voltage lighting, and an irrigation system for new garden beds. The backyard has become our main outdoor venue for entertaining and relaxing in the warmer months.
Without hesitation we will use Jim and The Carmel Guild for our future home projects. We also recommend them to
our friends when they need a contractor who will really listen to the customer and deliver quality work. Jim isn’t the cheapest contractor
around but if you value working with a man of his word, quality, and attention to detail, using The Carmel Guild will not disappoint you.

Over the past few years, we have continued an upgrading of our home in Prunedale, Ca. Last December we responded to an advertisement in the local newspaper from The Carmel Guild specialist in kitchen and bathroom renovations. We had no prior knowledge of The Carmel Guild, its owner or its  employed contractors.
We set up an initial meeting with Mr. Jim Johnston, owner of The Carmel Guild. He arrived promptly and listened to our  rough plans for a kitchen and dining room remodel. Shortly thereafter, Jim provided us with a detailed plan that met all our criteria.
He asked that we consider adding the services of an interior design specialist (his wife Day) who could enhance the overall design. Subsequently, we signed a contract that incorporated the design we contemplated, some modifications and the assistance of Day.
It is now three months later and we are standing in our “new home’ admiring the outstanding professional effort by Jim, Day and all of the several subcontractors who worked tirelessly, with some unforeseen challenges, to achieve this  spectacular end result. Therefore, and without hesitation, we enthusiastically recommend the services of The Carmel Guild to anyone contemplating a home renovation project. In addition, we would be remiss not to mention how the project was completed on time with continuous advance notification of who and when contractors would arrive and what, if anything, would be expected of us. In short, there was excellent communication for the duration of the project.
It would be our pleasure to provide additional information upon request.

My wife saw a newspaper ad by Carmel Guild for a sale on granite countertops. We were planning on selling our Pacific Grove house and thought granite countertops would be a good selling point.
Jim met us soon after my wife called him. Jim explained to us that Carmel Guild is a full-service company. Without absolutely any pressure on his part, we decided to not only get new countertops, but also totally update our kitchen with a new sink, new stove top and new built-in oven and microwave plus have our drab hardwood floors refinished.
Jim brought together a great group of highly professional artisans (carpenter, painter, plasterer, electrician, plumber and stone cutter).
They utterly transformed our kitchen and added value to our house.

In July of 2010 my wife and I contracted Jim and Day Johnston to remodel the kitchen and dining room in our home in Felton and everyone agrees that the results were amazing. Our funky 1960 kitchen was transformed into something out of a magazine and the reaction from visitors says it all. I am a piano teacher so a lot of people have seen it and every person makes positive statements, even 15 year old boys. My student’s moms even seem jealous, which makes me smile and remember how much fun it is to entertain guests now that I have such a great place for a little party.
In fact the project went so well that we had them build a beautiful deck for our BBQ area. It is large enough to double as a bandstand and I am looking forward to having all my Jazz musician buddies over for a jam session. Great fun!
We hired Jim and Day because we had seen their work and were quite impressed. From beautiful custom homes to fabulous gardens, their work is breathtaking. Day is a true artist with incredible vision and Jim has the
experience and pragmatism to make her vision come to life. They are quite a combo and we can’t recommend them enough to anyone who wants to transform their home into something truly special.

We are so pleased to have recently used the services of Jim Johnston’s construction company. Our kitchen was renovated while we were out of town visiting family in Chicago. Jim was wonderful to work with and sent us emails and photos during construction. While we were in the planning stages Jim spent endless hours working with us to make sure that we were going to get exactly what we wanted. He was patient and kind and always very helpful.
We are very pleased with his work and would highly recommend this company.

Jim Johnston remodeled our kitchen, and we were extremely satisfied with how the project turned out. Our project included new granite countertops, lighting, sink, faucet, and some appliance installation. Jim’s bid was incredibly competitive, and his oversight of the project ensured that the work was done as quickly as possible.
All of his crew were professional and did a great job of cleaning up after themselves at the end of each day. We are in the process of listing our home for sale in order to downsize and would not hesitate to use Jim for another project in our future home. Please feel free to contact me if you have any specific questions…

I was VERY satisfied with Jim Johnston’s work and professionalism. He has done a couple of jobs for me and work, prices and time frames have been excellent. On one job he did a remodel of a kitchen and other rooms of my client’s house and I was amazed how much work he did for the price. I highly recommend him for big and small jobs!

Jim and his team did a fabulous job on a long repair list at my Carmel vacation home. Everything was done to the highest standard, in a timely manner and at reasonable cost. Thank you!

I wanted to let you know that I was really impressed and satisfied with the work you and your team did on my garage addition. It turned out better than expected. It looks as if the garage addition was a seamless part of the original garage. You matched the exterior and the interior is spacious. It is a comfort to have a contractor that I can hire and know the work is done to my exacting specifications. This was the case on the first job you completed for me, the nearly complete remodel of the home I bought. Because of the work done on the home is the reason I hired you for the garage addition.
I will not hesitate to call you if I need additional projects completed. Feel free to send or give out this email to potential clients. I will be glad to speak with them on the phone also.

I have worked with Jim Johnston and the Carmel Guild on numerous transactions since joining John Saar Properties. Jim and the Carmel Guild are fantastic. Their rates are competitive and their work is first rate. I strongly recommend Jim and the Carmel Guild to anyone.

Thank you for the beautiful work on the patio. We are already enjoying it on these warm autumn days. One of the reasons we decided on hiring you is because of the professionalism you showed in your punctuality and knowledge of the project. It was easy to work with you and the experience was a good one. You and Day make a great team. I can’t wait to get the garden done. Day has such a good eye and can visualize just what everything will look like later. I can already picture our grandchildren on the path in the middle of the garden.

I highly recommend Jim Johnston as a home contractor. He truly cares about his work and is professional, thorough and diligent. Our family had a tight timeline and a set budget for remodeling. Jim came through when others could not. He kept up communication with us throughout the project, notified us in advance of the few minor changes that came up, made several great recommendations along the way that both saved us money and produced better results. If you are looking for a contractor for home remodeling look no further than Jim Johnston.
Thanks for getting us a great looking house on a tight timeline!…

“I have contracted Jim Johnston to do jobs on REO listings that needed work to be performed. I am very pleased with his quick response to providing the necessary bids requested by sellers, and the performance and quality of his work.”…

My favorite possession in the world is “Coast Guard,” my home at Carmelo 2 SW of 8th in Carmel-by-the-Sea.
I asked several people about who they would recommend as a contractor to entrust to do a special job in helping me re-build my front, one of a kind, 50+ year old fence, gate and archway. Your name came up a few times. You did a fabulous job. All the things I wanted. On time, professional, careful and meticulous, pleasant to deal with and helpful as we worked through several problems that came up. I have received any number of compliments on the fence and gate from my neighbors, friends and total strangers who walk by my home. I would unhesitatingly recommend you to anyone else. You just need to ask. I look forward to working with you in the future.

We recently needed a new French drain installed as well as a coat of cement sealant along the walls in a basement for a home in escrow.
Jim met with us at the subject property and went over all proposed items in detail, including, each of the steps that would take. All work was completed and performed in a timely and professional manner. Jim even took care of some other minor requests related to the project after the work was completed to make sure my clients were 100% satisfied. Jim patiently waited while the project was billed through escrow which gave our clients some breathing room during the buyer’s lender’s final underwriting phase.
Thank you Carmel Guild

My wife Amber and I would like to take a moment to congratulate you and your contractors Jim and Day Johnston, on the completion of your home on Hatton Road in Carmel. We know that a lot of quality and detail went into the project. The thing that we appreciate the most is the courtesy that was extended to us by Jim and Day, and the crew, throughout the duration of the project.
We were constantly advised on issues during the job that may have had an effect on us, whether being a noise issue, building materials that might have ended up in our yard, or other similar things. We’ve discovered that not all construction people are that concerned with how their projects affect the neighbors, and bad feelings often result. This is not the case with Jim, Day and your associates. Thank you for being such good neighbors, and good luck in realizing your final objective.

I wanted to thank you for doing such a great job on the wood floor replacement and fixing the drainage issue at 705 Frist Street in San Juan Bautista. I know you went above and beyond by fixing the cracks in the slab and leveling the floor. I want to tell you how much I appreciated that you were always easy to reach by phone and also called me back in a timely manner when I left a message. Many contractors take 3 or 4 days to get back to us agents even when we are in a hurry. My buyers told me they are thrilled will the quality of work you did with the drainage system and love how nice the wood flooring came out. I will definitely refer you to anyone I know that needs the assistance of a great contractor. I look forward to doing business with you in the future.

Jim Johnston is an excellent contractor. He provides excellent customer service, a quality product and completes the assignment within the required time frame and on budget. I would certainly use Jim in the future and highly recommend him to others seeking an excellent contractor.

Jim Johnston has done several projects for me over the years. Jim has always provided excellent service and he is very professional. His response is timely, and his bids are competitive. I can certainly recommend Jim and the Carmel Guild to anyone who needs a contractor.

On several occasions I have contacted Jim Johnston to provide bids for my clients on listings that needed repairs. He is very responsive and provides the necessary information quickly and professionally. I recommend him very highly.