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CGI Construction in Alum Rock, CA | San Mateo Construction
We’re an independent construction crew that installs and repairs CGI cabinetry, countertops, and glass shower enclosures across Alum Rock. For Alum Rock General Contractor services, we’re the local crew to call. Most of our CGI work here happens on older single-family lots, so we’ve learned exactly how these products behave in mid-century stucco-and-wood-frame homes, not just in a showroom. If you need CGI cabinets refaced, a water-damaged sink base replaced, or a new quartz top set, call (855) 901-7266 for a free estimate.
Why Alum Rock Residents Choose Us for CGI Service
We work CGI products every week, and more importantly, we work them in houses like the ones you live in. Alum Rock’s housing stock is largely 1950s and 1960s construction: compact lots, lath-and-plaster walls, frames that have settled out of square over six decades. CGI cabinetry is good product, but it’s unforgiving when it goes into an older home without proper blocking, shimming, and moisture management. We’ve handled enough of these installs to know where CGI cabinets fail first in Alum Rock homes: the toe kick, the sink base, and any box mounted on a west-facing wall. Noel Carrington, our owner, grew up helping his father pour concrete footings in San Mateo County and has spent nearly three decades on residential jobs. He’ll tell you straight: “Tell me what you actually need, and we’ll figure out the right way to build it.” That’s how we approach every CGI project here.
Styles & brands we work with







Common CGI Construction Problems We Solve in Alum Rock
- Swollen sink-base and toe-kick boxes. CGI cabinets use particleboard and MDF cores, which are stable until water gets to them. In Alum Rock’s older homes, a slow supply-line weep under the sink or window condensation that nobody notices for months will swell the bottom edge of a CGI box until the door no longer closes square. We see this more than any other failure.
- Finish checking and joint separation on west-facing walls. Alum Rock sits at the foot of the Diablo Range, and summers get hot and dry. Homes here often lack the deep eaves or shade trees that protect cabinetry from direct afternoon sun. CGI doors and drawer fronts on west and south exposures can check, fade, or separate at the joints years before the rest of the kitchen shows wear.
- Racked or sagging RTA boxes on out-of-square framing. Many 1950s and 60s houses in Alum Rock have wall framing that’s drifted. If a previous owner hung CGI RTA cabinetry directly on lath-and-plaster without solid blocking, the boxes rack, doors bind, and drawers stop gliding. We fix the framing, re-shim, and remount.
- Countertop seam and backsplash caulk failure near the park. Homes close to Alum Rock Park get winter moisture and seasonal movement in older stucco walls. That movement opens caulk joints where the CGI surface meets the backsplash, and water works in behind. We re-seam and re-caulk with materials rated for the movement these houses actually see.
- CGI frameless shower enclosures leaking at the threshold. In compact Alum Rock bathrooms, a shower enclosure is often wedged into a space with out-of-level floors. If the pan or threshold wasn’t set dead level, the CGI glass panel weeps at the bottom corner. We pull, re-level, and reset with proper waterproofing.
CGI Service in Alum Rock: What Local Conditions Mean for Your Equipment
Here’s the thing most contractors outside this neighborhood don’t think about: Alum Rock is unincorporated in places, and the boundary between Santa Clara County permitting and City of San Jose permitting runs right through the area, so we also handle CGI repair in San Jose proper when your parcel falls under city jurisdiction. Before we touch a CGI cabinet run, a countertop replacement, or a walk-in shower on your property, we confirm which jurisdiction actually has authority over the parcel. The two review plans differently. A project scoped under one set of assumptions can stall at the counter under the other. That’s not a formality; it changes how we sequence the work, what inspections we schedule, and sometimes what we can and can’t do without a variance. For CGI work specifically, the difference matters most on kitchens and bathrooms where plumbing relocations or wall changes are involved. We’ve pulled permits in both jurisdictions, and knowing which one you’re in before demo starts is the difference between a smooth job and a stopped one.
CGI Models & Products We Service in Alum Rock
We install and repair the full CGI line that shows up in East San Jose homes: CGI Ready-To-Assemble kitchen cabinetry, Shaker-style doors and drawer fronts, CGI quartz and granite countertop surfacing, and frameless glass shower enclosures. On repairs, we use genuine CGI replacement doors, drawer fronts, and hardware whenever the cabinet box is still structurally sound. If a box is water-damaged beyond drying, we’ll tell you, and we’ll use matched-quality aftermarket boxes and hinges rather than pretending a reface will hold. We don’t stock every CGI SKU in a warehouse, but we keep the common replacement hardware and touch-up materials on hand for faster turnaround on Alum Rock service calls. For broader product context, see our CGI sales & service overview.
See the difference
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AfterCGI Service Pricing in Alum Rock
What you’ll pay depends on the condition of what’s already in the house and the scope of what you want done. A straightforward cabinet reface costs less than pulling water-damaged boxes and re-blocking the wall behind them. A new quartz top over existing cabinets is a different job than a full countertop replacement with sink and backsplash. Here are the ranges we quote in Alum Rock:
| Service | Typical Range |
|---|---|
| Cabinet Installation | $4,000 – $13,000 |
| Countertop Installation | $2,000 – $6,500 |
| Backsplash Installation | $800 – $2,500 |
| Walk-In Shower Installation | $4,500 – $12,000 |
| Bathroom Vanity Installation | $800 – $3,000 |
We write line-item quotes, so you see exactly where the money goes before any work starts. Estimates are free. Call (855) 901-7266 and we’ll schedule a walkthrough at your place in Alum Rock.
Serving Alum Rock, CA — Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Alum Rock area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage — if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs – CGI Construction in Alum Rock
It depends entirely on which side of the unincorporated boundary your parcel falls on, and the boundary cuts through Alum Rock rather than following clean lines. We verify jurisdiction first by checking your parcel against county records, then pull the permit from whichever authority actually governs your address. A kitchen remodel with plumbing or electrical changes requires permits under both, but the review process, fees, and inspection scheduling differ. We handle the paperwork either way. Call (855) 901-7266 and we’ll tell you which jurisdiction you’re in before you spend a dollar.
If the swelling is limited to the toe kick or a corner of the sink base and the box hasn’t lost its structural integrity, we can often cut out the damaged section, dry everything thoroughly, and install a new toe kick or side panel. If the MDF has wicked water up through the box and the cabinet racks when you press on it, the box has to come out. We’ll show you the difference in person so you’re not guessing. Call (855) 901-7266 for an honest assessment.
That’s the Diablo Range sun doing what it does. Alum Rock gets intense afternoon heat on west and south exposures, and many mid-century homes here don’t have the overhangs or shade that newer construction often includes. CGI’s finish is durable, but sustained UV and dry heat will check and fade it faster than on a north wall. We can replace just the affected doors and drawer fronts with genuine CGI components, and we’ll talk through options for shade or film if you want to slow it down.
Usually, yes, if the existing footprint works and the subfloor is sound. We’ve set CGI frameless glass enclosures and new shower pans in bathrooms where the only real change was the wet-area rebuild, not the whole room. The catch in older Alum Rock homes is floor leveling: many slabs and framed floors have drifted over 60 years, and the pan has to be dead level or the glass will leak at the threshold. We check that upfront and factor any correction into the quote.
Houses near the park and in nearby pockets like CGI in Seven Trees see more seasonal moisture and temperature swing than places further down Alum Rock Avenue, and older stucco walls move with it. That movement shows up as failed caulk at countertop-to-backsplash seams and at shower enclosure joints. When we install CGI surfaces and enclosures in this area, we use flexible, movement-rated sealants and leave the right gap tolerances so the install survives the wet season. If you’re seeing open caulk joints now, don’t wait until water gets behind the surface. Call (855) 901-7266 to schedule a look.
Service Areas Near Alum Rock
Our crew works throughout the East San Jose foothills and across the Santa Clara County line. If you’re in East Foothills, we handle CGI service in East Foothills with the same attention to hillside lot conditions. Homeowners on the other side of the valley can also reach us for CGI service in Communications Hill. Full coverage details are on our Alum Rock service area page. We also take jobs in San Jose, Milpitas, and the surrounding unincorporated pockets where county permitting applies.
Book Your CGI Service in Alum Rock Today
If your CGI cabinets, countertops, or shower enclosure need work, don’t let a small problem become a cabinet replacement. Call (855) 901-7266 for a free estimate, and we’ll schedule a walkthrough at your Alum Rock home. We’ll tell you what you actually need, and then we’ll build it right.
Written by Noel Carrington, Owner at San Mateo Construction, serving Alum Rock, CGI in Buena Vista, and the greater San Jose area.