Some Client Testimonials
"Working with Fred and Figo is a breeze, from start to finish, as he provided us with a turn key quote, up front for the required permit package, including all we needed for our house remodel and addition in Sonoma. Everything that the city wanted in order to obtain a building permit was provided by Figo with a pre-set 'locked in price' including unlimited design time, structural engineering, Title-24, etc. so we could get our plans just right. All of this was very helpful when working on our budget for the overall project, knowing that the plans and permitting were set before we even began the process. Figo made it easy.." - Kimmie & Scott Peterson, Homeowners
"We bought a fixer upper which sported a 'gremlin-designed' bathroom... A long-term Sonoma contractor, with an excellent reputation recommended Fred to us before we could even ask! Since we had no previous remodeling experience we needed all the help we could get. Fred provided that help in a friendly and upbeat manner to the max and without being fazed by any of the usual job-related hiccups. Following his guidance, we were able to maximize the functionality and beauty of the limited space with which we were working. We are SO HAPPY with the results! Thank you, Fred!" - Mr & Mrs S. Homeowners
"I have known Fred and his family for decades. I have had the good fortune of working with FiGO (Fred) as a designer and must give him the highest level of positive recommendation possible. Fred brings wonderful talent, energy, clear communication skills and a boatload of integrity to every client he serves." - Steve Wolf, Real Estate Broker
"I have had the pleasure of knowing and working with Fred for several years. He is genuinely a true professional, does what he commits to, and is always very timely whether it be research on a property or construction drawings and obtaining a permit. If an issue or change comes up in the middle of a project, he is quick to respond. Coming from a construction family and working in the field himself is a definite bonus when it comes to designing a project or value engineering a project. I look forward to several future years working with Fred." - Cam Fraser. Owner and Contractor. Wine Country Builders. Inc.
"We recently worked with Fred on home remodel/addition projects here in Sonoma. Fred is a pleasure to work with. He has great design ideas and is always on time and on budget. He guided the project from initial design ideas and is always on time and on budget. He guided the project from initial design through final approval with the County. We couldn't be happier with the results. Highly recommended." - Mike and Gail Wymore. Homeowners
"I highly recommend Fred O'Donnell and FiGO Construction Drawings...
Not only does Fred have knowledge and expertise to generate the drawings the client needs for construction, he will also guide the client and the plans through the City or County Building Permit Process. This can save both time and money for the client. Fred listens well to the clients' wants and needs and is reflected in his plans." - John Craig. Owner and Contractor.
"Fred and I have worked together as a team many years now. From the start, Fred has been the most professional draftsman my team has ever worked with. Fred maintains a high end experience with a low stress environment making the whole process for me and the homeowners more comfortable and inviting. Fred's know-how with the City and the County offices, along with his excellent rapport with their employees, make him incredibly efficient throughout the permit process. Fred's drawings regularly fly through the permitting process without any "redline" comments - which means I get my permits faster! What more can I say? I love working with the guy. He's the best in the biz!" - Lou Vierra. Owner and Contractor. Vierra Fine Homes
"I definitely recommend FiGO Construction Drawings to take care of any reinforcing needs. Fred is extremely professional, very thorough and never misses a deadline! I have had the pleasure of working with him over the past 10 years and I would suggest using him for any project - commercial or residential." -George Marinkovich. Owner - West Coast Reinforcing
"I'd highly recommend FiGO Construction Drawings when you want to work with the best, have a goal to achieve, and don't want the "runaround" for getting your construction plans. Fred O' Donnell is hands down the easiest draftsman to work with in the valley. He listens to your goals for building, offers intelligent, experienced suggestions, and gets the plans done on time." - Patrick Baker. Owner - 3 B's Vineyard
"My experience with Fred O'Donnell of FiGO has been excellent. Fred has been responsive to my needs and quick to execute the plans in a beautiful manner and... his price is very reasonable. I would highly recommend Fred and FiGO to anyone." - Geraldine Whitman, Homeowner
"FiGO was an intricate part of our design-construction team and his insights and ideas contributed to a successful project! Fred worked collaboratively with us during the design phase of our home remodel and provided exceptional design concepts that led to a beautiful addition." - Alice and Jason Dow. Homeowners
"Working with Fred is easy. He is able to take my rough sketches and preliminary ideas from a client, transfer them into precise working drawings which I, in turn, can use to produce a tangible product. Aside from being professional and speedy work partner, Fred is an all around good guy!" - Robert Castillo. Owner/Cabinet Maker - Wood Touch Inc
"Fred was more than a pleasure to work with. We came to him with only the vaguest of ideas of what we wanted, and he created designs and drawings for our remodeled home that still delight us each day. We never imagined the process would be so painless and simple. Thanks again, Fred. We can hardly remember what the house was like before we met you!" - Louis and Danelle Block, Homeowners
"FiGO was fantastic to work with... We wish we had met Fred years ago! We had remodel plans in progress... FiGO took over the project and it turned out to be a great experience for us. Fred did what he said he would do... that is, take care of it all, from drawing the plans to working with the engineer, and even doing some leg-work by going to the building department for us. He made it easy." - Todd and Heidi Schmick. Homeowners
"I've got to let you know that our addition couldn't be any better. Between FiGO and the contractor, we have a great addition to our house. The driveway side of the house looks fantastic! Both my husband, Jim, and I agree that the addition was designed and built to much better standards than the house was originally." - Jeannie and Jim Haugh. Homeowners
"Fred was a refreshing delight to work with. We started the design concept in November of 2008 to demolish and reconstruct our residence. Fred was in constant contact, as we were living in Arizona during the design process. Within 2 months, all drawings were completed to our satisfaction. Most importantly, Fred understands and appreciates the permit process, which is very trying and time consuming. Fred completed all of the required extensive leg work (and beyond) to secure the permit in a timely and professional manner. Fred's efforts, throughout the process, allowed for the completion of the construction and occupancy of our residence in June 2009. We wholeheartedly recommend Fred O'Donnell." - Joyce and Gene McGillicuddy. Homeowners & General Contractor
"As a business owner for more than 20 years, it's always nice to find people who can deliver professionalism and offer great customer service. Fred does on both counts. He is easy to work with and listens to the customer's needs. I have worked with Fred not only on my house project, but also on restaurant projects. He was right there finding out city and county planning department procedures for the tedious work of planning a restaurant! There are few people you can genuinely say you enjoy working with in the aspect of construction projects but I can honestly say I enjoyed working with FiGO. Keep up the good work, Fred." - Ed Metcalfe. Shiso Sushi Catering. Owner/Executive Chef
"Fred was a pleasure to work with from the start. we had multiple problems with the Marin County permit process. Several times we were surprised with additional requirements and changes. Fred responded with modifications to plans quickly and efficiently and even delivered plans upon completion. I am very satisfied with FiGO in every way. Besides he is a great guy! Thanks again Fred." - Marcel Svizzero. Homeowner
"I am happy to endorse FiGO Construction Drawings to any future customer. I was very happy with Fred's consistent attention to detail during the planning of my extensive kitchen remodel. I found Fred to be honest, sincere, reliable and he understood what needed to be done. I HIGHLY recommend Mr. O'Donnell and wish him much success in his future endeavors." -Linda Biancalana. Homeowner
"I have worked with Fred O'Donnell for several years. Fred has always provided excellent service to me and my clients. He manages his time well, cares about quality and detail and has good judgement. I plan to continue using his services indefinitely and recommend him highly." - Joe Castanera. General Contractor
"We had been working with an architect for a number of months and become quite frustrated with the cost, lack of progress and seemingly increased complexity of everything. We shifted our project to FiGO Construction Drawings and have been totally happy with service, quality and price of work done. The change to FiGO transformed this project from a chore to the pleasure we had hoped it would be. Thanks FRED!!" - Ian Burns and Judy Sim. Homeowners
"Fred has been very easy to work with, listened carefully to my ideas, thoughts and concerns and helped greatly in refining my concepts into a functional plan. It was clear that he knows the building permit process very well. His knowledge helped guide me through the regulatory thicket at the county building department. As a result, I was able to get through the permit process with minimum fuss and bother and, the plan package only needed a single resubmission to accommodate the latest changes to ever-evolving county regulations. Fred's proposal, while not the lowest cost in simple dollar terms, offered the most complete proposal of all the building designers I contacted. I highly recommend Fred, and if another project comes up will certainly use him again." - Joe West. Homeowner
"We have been very pleased with the service from Fred at FiGO. We first worked with him 3 years ago to develop plans for a bathroom remodel. More recently he developed plans for our new garage and a major renovation to our house. With each project, he was very responsive to our needs, highly professional, and he was instrumental in ensuring that we met all of the County's requirements in securing our permits. We would not hesitate to recommend his services to others." - Kevin & Donna Wilson. Homeowners
"What can we say about FiGO except he can do it all? Fred helped us with multiple projects on our property; several permitting issues, demolition permits, a shed, a garage, increasing our home's square footage, all in all about 10 different permits. After this wonderful experience, we used Fred to help us set up our new business location. We converted an office space into a yogurt shop and Fred knew just how to get it done. Thanks FiGO!" - Lori and Eric Solis. Homeowners and "Top That Yogurt" Business Owners
"We used Fred at FiGO for our house plans after getting quotes from 2 architects. We were so surprised when Fred gave us his price as it was less than HALF the estimate from the architects. In addition, the drawings Fred made for us were equal to the architect's drawings we had be shown. In fact, when we submitted our plans to the County for permits, they even commented on how precise the drawings were..." - Tom Barnett. Owner/Broker Santa Rosa Realty/Mise En Place
"Fred has been fantastic to work with on a number of projects; from as-built work for clients to construction drawings for my own home. Fred is efficient and great to work with." - Sam Turner. General Contractor/Owner - Gracie Construction Inc.
"Fred O'Donnell spent several years in the construction field wearing a tool belt, giving him the invaluable understanding of how buildings get assembled. He also spent years drawing by hand and has now seamlessly incorporated the computer into his drafting service... a skill in which he excels. This rounded out his already strong, traditional background as an accomplished draftsman. I appreciate the time Fred spent swinging a hammer and drawing by hand, and believe those experiences increased his value as a contemporary draftsman." - Robert Baumann. Architect
"I had to work through a permitting process with the City of Sonoma in reverse after belatedly discovering a permit for a building was needed. The City of Sonoma recommended Fred O'Donnell of FiGO Construction Drawings to me. Fred has been so wonderful to work with and not only drew up plans that the city wanted to see, he has even gone well above and beyond to help me navigate the permitting process. He even attended a Planning Commission meeting with me in order to help us get some necessary exceptions for our building. Fred's work is exceptional and his help has been invaluable. I cannot thank him enough and would highly recommend him to everyone who needs help on any construction project." - Holly Hansen. Renter
"When we decided to extensively remodel our historic home and add a new pool house on Sonoma's east side, we chose FiGO to translate our ideas into blueprints that would quickly get us through Design Review and provide everything our contractors needed to execute the job. From the as-builts to complex electrical diagrams to multiple change orders, Fred proved to be as conscientious, efficient and response, as his reputation suggested. His extensive knowledge of the building codes and the inner workings of city Planning department procedures saved us a ton of time and money and gave us a stunning home to be proud of. I highly recommend Fred and FiGO" - Cliff Clark. Homeowner/Contractor
"We received several recommendations for FiGO's work. Fred was very cooperative, but also, being quite familiar with Sonoma's city codes was a timely benefit to conclude our renovation efficiently, and equally important, fulfilling our goals. This experience enables us to heartily promote FiGO!!" -Mike & Jean Fitzgerald
"We cannot stress how important it is to work with a designer who not only is experienced but also able to understand what we're looking for in our remodel project. We were really fortunate that our realtor introduced us to Fred O'Donnell of FiGO Construction Drawings. At our first meeting with Fred, we brought along our wish lists of major items, as well as a big binder full of pictures and magazine clippings of various design elements that we've been compiling over the years. We thought we would totally overwhelm him. But Fred patiently reviewed everything we brought, and actually encouraged us to continue to bring him anything else we'd come across. Within a few short weeks, Fred was able to create an early plan combining our wish lists and ideas. But an important aspect that Fred brought to the project was his knowledge of city building guidelines, which directed us to make adjustments where needed. From there we went through MANY MANY revisions... We asked our friends and family for feedback, we reviewed the plan with several prospective builders to validate our ideas and to get rough cost estimates based on various feedback, we worked with Fred to adjust our initial plan. Thanks Fred for all your help and patience with our many revisions" - Judy & Mark Krawec. Homeowners.
"Our experience working with FiGO has been wonderful. We did a complete remodel and addition to our home last year and could not be happier.
I could not recommend Fred O'Donnell more. He has gone above and beyond in helping us. He is easy to work with and a true professional. We have now started a new remodel project with FiGO. We highly recommend Fred O'Donnell because he is truly the best." - Seamus Canning, Martina O'Neill. Homeowners
"Fred O'Donnell is an individual and professional. Before even agreeing to work with him, Fred took the time to come and meet me face to face at my house to discuss my ideas and see the property. Once my wife and I decided to start the process, Fred immediately sent a detailed contract clearly explaining all the things that we would get as part of the deal. Once we signed the contract Fred was communicative at every step, helped explain complex issues surrounding permitting and construction in a manner that I could understand (I am a DIYer, but only for little things and a first time homeowner), and was open and extremely helpful throughout the design and planning process. Upon receiving our initial design, we sent our feedback and within a day Fred both made the adjustments and sent us the new plan, which reflected our feedback perfectly. He is timely, respectful, communicative, and was a reasonable and honest person to work with. I cannot recommend Fred any higher because I couldn't imagine someone doing a better job. Thanks Fred for your patience and willingness to help me understand every step in the process." - David Minhondo. Homeowner
"I've had the pleasure of knowing Fred since about 1990, before his design days, when he was working on construction crews and rebar sales, refining his all-around knowledge so he could be the best draftsperson in Sonoma Valley. Fred knows the industry so well that he truly is one-of-a-kind: the only guy who totally "gets" the building permit process. He knows what needs to happen, what it's going to take to happen, and how to get from here to there. He knows what you need to have included in your plans to satisfy the different permitting entities in the cities and unincorporated areas of Sonoma County, and probably beyond. They all know him and respect his plans and ideas, and probably breathe a sigh of relief when they see his signature on an incoming set of plans into their offices. Give Fred the keys to your project, but start early because he's usually backed up by popular demand from the locals!" - Eran Glago. Homeowner/Contractor
"Fred made designing our dream home so much fun - from our initial idea books and brainstorming sessions all the way through permit submission. He is an awesome, efficient and effective partner. Every step of the way, Fred really listened and was thoughtful and collaborative in providing his thoughts and evolving our plan. He was realistic, always had time for us and was very skilled at distilling down the intricacies of Sonoma PRMD. We couldn't be happier with the final product - working with Fred every step of the way was an absolute joy. We would work with Fred again in a second and recommend him without hesitation." - Colin & Amy Evans. Homeowners
Fred has extensive experience completing projects in the Sonoma Valley and his knowledge, contacts, and skills enable well-designed projects to be accomplished in a timely manner." - Joel D. Bickford. Homeowner
"Instead of hiring an expensive architect, a friend recommended I contact FiGO for my complex remodel. Fred took my crude pencil & paper sketch of a house design and turned it into a professional set of building plans, took care of arranging engineering services, Title 24 compliance, and even spoke on my behalf at the Planning hearing. Permits were a breeze and the outcome exactly as I had envisioned. He's now working on a new project for me and I couldn't be more confident." - Susanna Mahoney. Homeowner
"I have worked with Fred on two projects - one was a commercial remodel for a new business, and another was a home remodel. In both cases I found Fred to be nice, professional, honest, fun and remarkably easy to work with. But his real value is that Fred can be your lifeline to keeping sane while dealing with processes and situations that may clearly effect your sanity. When undertaking a building or remodel in Sonoma you are definitely going to want Fred by your side." - Margie Brooke. Homeowner & Business Owner
"Fred O'Donnell of FiGO is my/our "go to" person. His professionalism, resources, knowledge, insights and creativity always make for a successful project." - Matt Sevenau & Maurice Tagelaar. Realtors
"What a wonderful experience we had with Fred. We decided not to use an architect on our new house. We knew what we wanted to build and we didn't want to have to manage an architect in that process. When my wife and I first met Fred, the decision was an easy one. Fred was easy (fun) to work with. He met all of his deliverables and the final plans were approved by the county in record time. What more could you ask for..." - Stan & Deborah Roualdes. Homeowners
I met Fred 2 yrs. ago. He had designed a project that we built. Since then FiGO & Sonoma Builders Inc. have a business relationship that has worked very well. FiGO is fast & effective with his design process. Being a contractor for the last 8 yrs. I have never met a design consultant that has a "get it done process" like FiGO. We have been working together to guide home owners through the involved process of design, engineering, permit & execution for the desired project. Working with FiGO is a great experience for me as a contractor, if there is any questions/design changes FiGO has been on top of it all! With revision drawings & design consultation. If I inquire to him about anything he is on it right way, every time! This makes the process as the builders a fantastic experience and makes my project stay on target for completion. In my experiences with designers, I will definitely use FiGO to design my next home & future projects that clients desire. We have done 5 projects in 2 yrs. and every client has stated in one way or another that the would absolutely use FiGO for any projects in the future. - Cody Heimann/Sonoma Builders Inc. General Contractor
"We used Fred O'Donnell of FiGO Construction Drawings to draw up designs for the remodel on our Sonoma home. Fred is really great at taking your ideas and putting them into the designs. Due to horrible previous construction on our home, the remodel turned into an entire tear down. Fred was right there to redraw the designs and we ended up with our dream home. We also used Fred to draw up some ideas for our San Francisco home remodel. His fees were reasonable and work was done in a timely manner. We highly recommend Fred and FiGO Construction drawings." - Jerry Meduri and Brian Davis. Homeowners
"As homeowners, selecting the right team is perhaps the most critical step to successfully executing your development project. In the last 5 years we have been privileged to call FiGO part of the team on more than 50 successful development projects in Sonoma County. Fred at FiGO routinely provides expert advice and top tier design work for a variety of commercial and residential development projects. FiGO's approach to design and the permit process is among the most effective and efficient I have encountered and we look forward to working as a member of the FiGO team for years to come!" - Daniel Byrne, RCE, QSD. Engineer. Hogan Land Services Inc.
"Fred built our dream house! From the first meeting until the day we moved in, he was the most professional member of the entire team. He was organized, responsive, punctual and on point with the entire process. He managed the plans with accuracy, the county permits with efficiency and the general contractor with competence on the project. He was always open to any alterations that were needed during the building stages without any hesitation or reservation. His customer service and knowledge are second to none. We could not be any happier with Fred. We have infinite faith in his abilities and expertise, so much so that we are ready to embark on the next phase of construction with FiGO: the pool house." - Jad and Stacie Elkhoury. Homeowners"Yes..I would absolutely use Figo again. Super diligent and professional. Fred helped us in our remodel and conversion of a building from one use to another. He prepared us through everything...Thank you Fred!
Stephanie Shepherd. Homeowner
"We first met with Fred O'Donnell with a rudimentary drawing of our forever home. He patiently looked over the drawing without judgement, asked necessary questions about how we visualized the space based on our needs and wants, then made the necessary tweaks. He explained in plain English what we needed in order to have the house we dreamed of. Fred made it very easy to let go of certain aspects of our design that didn't work and offered great suggestions for areas of improvement. He worked well with our builder, was available whenever we needed clarification or advice and made site visits if we needed him. We couldn't recommend Fred highly enough, his knowledge of architecture and building in Sonoma County is invaluable. With it all behind us now, we look at those first stages of our building experience as the least painful and most enjoyable. Fred was just as excited as we were and it sent us on a great beginning." - Gary & Brenda Horne. Homeowners
