Our Principles

Finishworks of San Francisco represents the third generation of builders in the Young family. Franklin Young and Son began building vacation residences and custom homes on eastern Long Island just after World War II. Now in the 21 st century, Frank's grandson Clay continues that tradition in the Bay Area's fast-paced, technology-intensive construction environment. To our way of thinking, these principles handed down from Franklin through Hal to Clay still hold as true as ever:

A good contractor's first responsibility is to help create a dynamic alliance between the client, designer, and artisan team.
Construction integrity comes from working with a stable team of craftsmen and subcontractors who get on well together. Best results are achieved when the same individuals who do the 'rough' work are also responsible for the finish detailing.
Service and personal attention are as important as fine workmanship.
Quality is best enabled when the responsible contractor is directly involved with all details rather than by delegating to surrogates.
Less is more. Focus on no more than one or two jobs at a time means full attention can be devoted to each.
Clear documentation and communication make for harmony and reduced stress.
We create homes, not just 'real estate.' While good, well designed and built work will increase property value, our primary goal is to render your dream for your private sanctuary into a delightful reality.
A successful project must express the needs and personality of the homeowner. The builder's primary role is service, not self _expression. At the same time, an experienced builder must guide his client through a sometimes intimidating thicket of decisions in order to assure a great final result. So he must be able to freely articulate and apply his experience to the many challenges that arise during the course of any complex, one-of-a-kind project.