Fallbrook Bath & Kitchen has quality reputation, plenty of great references

When it comes to quality remodels, Fallbrook Bath & Kitchen has become a top choice for many. With 40 years in the industry, owner Tony Raia ensures his company encompasses all the things clients look for: quality, integrity, innovation, commitment, and experience.

Fallbrook Bath & Kitchen keeps subcontractors to a minimum since they are a general contracting firm. Raia and his trusty crew do project design, plumbing, carpentry, electrical, tile and stonework, cabinet installation, lighting, wall repair and refinishing.

“Once we gain a client for a bath or kitchen job, they’ll use us for other things like new windows, new doors, outdoor patio projects, and fireplace makeovers,” Raia said. “We wind up doing a lot of things that we don’t ever advertise for.”

Typically, kitchen and bath remodels take three to five weeks to complete. In some instances, Raia has finished projects in two.

Raia strives to minimize the inconvenience and disruption that remodels can bring.

“We try really hard to be sensitive to our clients and we make sure not to start the job until all the materials are collected, the cabinets are ordered, and on their way,” he said. “We want to turn the project around as quickly as possible.”

Every day, when Raia and his crew leave the jobsite, they do their fair share of cleaning. Remodeling is a dusty business, he said, and they work hard to keep the area as clean as possible.

Raia, a second generation contractor, has a specific way of placing tiles in showers. He never uses Hardibacker or greenboard. Instead, cement is placed on the walls. “Using cement like this is an old European method and most of the good tradesmen still use it,” he said.

Having been in construction for decades, Raia has a sharp design eye. He’s done so many projects he knows what makes sense and looks good in bathrooms and kitchens. “What should come out of any remodel is something that you enjoy while living there, that works well for you, that maintains well, and gets your money back if you resell,” he said, noting how these working rooms are still great investments.

Be it an estimate, returning phone calls, or going to the jobsite, Raia is always punctual. He can’t help it – it’s in his DNA.

Raia treats his clients like gold, and because of this, the majority of his business is referral-based.

“Fallbrook is such a small community, you must treat people well, because you’ll meet them at Major Market one day,” he said, adding how many of his clients turned into friends. “My goal in business is to make every single client a referral.”

When Raia meets a potential client at their home, he hands them a 30-plus list of updated references.

Originally from Staten Island, New York, Raia and his wife, Carol, moved to California in 1986 after a San Diego vacation. They lived in Anaheim Hills, and then, in Laguna Nigel.

They ended up in Fallbrook by accident.

“We wanted to visit Temecula Wine Country and when we went online to find bed and breakfast places one on Del Valle Drive showed up – so, we followed the Google map down here,” Raia said. “The next morning, when we got up, we realized we weren’t in Temecula; we were in Fallbrook. After we started to look around, we realized how nice it was.”

The Raia family moved to the Friendly Village in 2003.

Raia enjoys the fact that his son-in-law, Matthew Bellafaire, and longtime Fallbrook resident, Sean Stanley, is his backbone crew. “I treat them like they own the business, too,” he said.

Raia said that leaving a job every day and seeing the progress is his favorite part. “I love going to work because I love what I do.”

Fallbrook Bath and Kitchen serves North San Diego, Southwest Riverside, and South Orange counties. For more information, visit http://www.tonyraia.com or call (760) 668-4653. Raia can also be reached at [email protected].

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