Gordie and the crew of Dovetail Consruction get my highest praise. From the initial contact to get a bid, through tear down of the old house, all phases of construction of the new one, and final inspection, they made this project a memorable, enriching, and highly successful experience.

The aim was to build a new version copy of a 1917 Santa Cruz Craftsman house. Many complex design features of the new house had to be worked out during the construction, and decisions about upgrades were made.

Gordie and his crew are exceptional problem solvers and skilled craftsmen. They are also pleasant and smart! In addition, Gordie uses subcontractors with whom he has worked over the years and whose contributions to the project were done as needed and with care.

The entire project was done in a timely fashion and in keeping with expectation.

Ron Dillehay

Dillehay residence: master bedroom


Everything you need to know about Dovetail Construction can be summed up like this: They deliver superior craftsmanship on time and on budget. Hands down, these are the guys to hire.

Gordie and his crew are top-notch tradesmen. They take immense pride in their work and sweat every detail. If your project is going to have the Dovetail name associated with it, then Gordie wants it to be perfect. Gordie helped us with a major remodeling of our 140 year old historic home, making a huge effort to artfully and skillfully blend the old with the new. The result is a beautiful home--from the foundation to the framing to the custom-milled crown molding--that's ready for the next 140 years.

Any construction project requires an immense amount of coordination among the client, the architect, the sub-contractors, the city's building department, and even a few persnickety neighbors. Gordie is a master at orchestrating the 10,001 details and decisions that go into completing a project. He patiently, clearly, and effectively communicated with us every step of the way. He did a great job of managing our expectations and always talked us through the implications of our choices. No matter the issue at hand, Gordie's expertise and knowledge of his craft always put us at ease.

They say that there's a simple test when choosing a contractor: ask yourself, "Is this the kind of person that I'd want to have a beer with?" Put another way, when you undertake a major construction project, your contractor will be a daily part of your life. Our family has enjoyed having Gordie as part of our lives for the past year. Gordie is absolutely a skilled craftsman. But he's also a great guy with a ton of integrity and a great sense of humor. He and his team were a pleasure to work with and (like we said!) delivered superior craftsmanship on time and on budget. We can't recommend Dovetail Construction highly enough.

Jeremy Neuner

Wilson-Brito residence: ceiling detail


On our architect’s recommendation, we hired Gordie and Dovetail for a partial rebuild of our house in 1996. When the time came in 2008 to rebuild the other half, we gladly chose Gordie again.

What sold us initially was Gordie’s engagement and enthusiasm for the project. He and the crew worked with the architect, planning department, and subcontractors to solve problems as they came up. We found that their craftsmanship is top notch, they were always pleasant to work with, and they cleaned up after themselves.

As home-owners we weren’t always the easist to work with, but Gordie proved to be an excellent listener and mediator. I’d recommend them to anyone looking to do a remodel.

Ed Wilson


Gordie is the best!!! We are deeply grateful for the beautiful remodel he did on our home. It was a pleasure to work with him!

Ruth and Glenn Garland

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