Our company, Colony Construction, was officially formed in 1975 although it had been going for years before that.  My Dad and Uncle started working on houses digging ditches at 6 years old & 8 years old respectively.  I started going on jobs when I was 5 years old, but didn’t start full time during the summer until I was 11.  I started off making $1/day until my Mom found out and I got a pay raise to $1/hour.  Big money! 

We have worked on some of the biggest houses in California including the Whittel Estate, which I believe is the 2nd biggest estate in California after the Hearst Castle.  I remember the duck pond and cages for the lions and tigers that roamed the property.  We got called in to fix the duck pond that was leaking.  The pool guys had come out and given outrageous bids to resurface the entire pond.  My Dad said we would just fix the cracks.  It wouldn’t be perfect, but it is only a duck pond!

The majority of our work was kitchen remodels in what is now Silicon Valley before it was Silicon Valley (Palo Alto, Santa Clara, Redwood City, etc.).  After relocating to Sacramento in the 1990’s, the business changed to more commercial work & rental property rehab.  Currently the majority of our work is remodel work both residential and commercial with a handful of new construction projects to keep everything interesting.
 

We have always taken pride in the fact that the majority of our work is remodel work because it is the toughest challenge of all the trades because you need to know something about everything:  electrical, plumbing, drywall, roofing, painting, etc.  Plus you never know what you will find when you tear open a wall on a house, and you better know how to fix it right when you are done.

Currently, we operate with 2 small, tight crews consisting mostly of guys with over 20 years experience each and a few select specialty sub-contractors, such as roofing, painting, HVAC and concrete.  This has allowed us to stick with one crew from start to finish on the majority of projects.  Since we have stayed busy with remodel and new construction, the process has become routine and we are able to rely on checklists and standardized procedures to keep the projects timely and efficient.

The work is tough & the hours long sometimes, but it is easy to sleep at night knowing you have put in an honest days’ work and made someone’s home better than when you got there.

-Nick Bonanno