If you hire this pro, you’re covered by a money-back guarantee. Learn more
If you hire this pro, you’re covered by a money-back guarantee. Learn more
About
ToolBox Design is a women-owned, full-service design and construction firm based in San Francisco, founded in 2015. We transform outdoor spaces, interiors, and entire properties into places people love, from concept through construction.
Led by founder Sanem Surel, our team handles every phase of your project so you don't have to manage multiple contractors:
What we do:
Outdoor & landscape design and construction
General contracting and home remodels
Architecture and interior design
ADUs, additions, and structural work
Permitting, construction documents, and project management
Ongoing maintenance
We work on high-end residential and commercial projects throughout the Bay Area. Every project gets our full attention, thoughtful design, careful execution, and clear communication from start to finish.
If you're ready to make the most of your space, we'd love to talk.
Overview
Hired 83 times
Serves San Francisco, CA
Background checked
License verified
5 employees
11 years in business
Business hours
This pro hasn't listed their business hours.
Payment methods
This pro accepts payments via Check, PayPal, Venmo, and Zelle.
Top Pros are among the highest-rated, most popular professionals on Thumbtack.
2022
2021
Credentials
License verified
B - General Building Contractor
License state: CA
Background checked
Passed by Sanem Surel on Jan 9, 2021.
Services offered
Construction service type
Construction services project location
Residential
Commercial
Projects and media
Projects and media
Reviews
Customers rated this pro highly for work quality, professionalism, and responsiveness.
Good 4.3
21 reviews
5
76%
4
5%
3
5%
2
0%
1
14%
Your trust means everything to us. Learn about our review guidelines.
Read reviews that mention:
Sarah S.
Apr 18, 2021
•
Hired on Thumbtack
Sanem and her team transformed my unusable backyard into a beautiful area for entertaining. She provided creative ideas to use the space, and executed on a shorter timeframe than anticipated. She was responsive to my requests and suggestions, and her crew was great to work with. Would highly recommend!
Details: Complete renovation of current landscape (e.g. replace soil, hardscape services) • Plant trees or shrubs • Lay grass or sod • Walkway • Patio • Back yard • No, one-time project • Home
Outdoor Landscaping and Design
Peter C.
Oct 5, 2022
•
Hired on Thumbtack
Sanem and her team helped us turn our backyard from an unkempt bush into a small-big garden where both adults and kids love spending time outdoors. We found Sanem's Toolbox company via Thumbtack and we had initial conversations with a few companies but we liked Sanem's one the best. Looking back, we are very happy about the decision.
We appreciated her professionalism, experienced eye, overall communication and of course the result - delivered within the budget and agreed on timeline. Not that everything was just smooth sailing all the time - there were moments when we felt like things could be moving faster - as a working from home homeowner, you notice every day when people are NOT working at your backyard and that can make you antsy - but apparently that was all part of the bigger plan because the project was delivered exactly within the timeframe we agreed on (5 weeks). That included us deciding mid-project we wanted one particular type of turf that was not readily available, she managed to magically get it for us from somewhere else and still make the overall schedule work.
Sanem was very helpful throughout the process striking a good balance between listening to and helping us clarify our vision AND offering her suggestions on what she knows from her experience will look good & be functional. The same applies to changes we did vs the original plan - she did offer some fancy upgrades which were outside of our budget but she was also very constructive towards finding a solution which fits both our budget and preferences. She is a fun and pleasant person to interact with and she could keep her calm/ cool even under pressure.
So 5 star experience for us and would recommend her to anyone esp when looking to give their backyard/ garden a new life (adding our BEFORE/ AFTER pics for reference - yes, it is the same place, picture taken from the same spot).
Details: Complete renovation of current landscape (e.g. replace soil, hardscape services) • Retaining wall • Walkway • Patio • Back yard • No, one-time project • Home
Outdoor Landscaping and Design
Nina W.
Dec 17, 2020
•
Hired on Thumbtack
Sanem did a great job designing our back yard and we are really happy with the results. There were some delays in the construction work due to materials shortages, but she and her crew were easy to work with.
Details: Larger projects in current landscape (e.g. plant trees, install sprinkler) • Lay grass or sod • Walkway • Back yard • Side yard • No, one-time project • Home
Outdoor Landscaping and Design
Terri G.
Apr 23, 2019
•
Hired on Thumbtack
Toolbox did a great job on my small backyard project. They worked with me to stay within budget and their work was perfect. I would highly recommend them.
Details: Larger projects in current landscape (e.g. plant trees, install sprinkler) • Already have plans - just need installation • Remove tree stump(s) • Patio • Less than 1,000 sq ft • Back yard • No, one-time project • Home
Outdoor Landscaping and Design
Dharma S.
Jan 13, 2022
•
Hired on Thumbtack
Hired Sanem for designing my front yard. She is a pro, understands customer needs and flexible to accommodate quick turnaround for design. Had a great experience working with her and recommend for similar jobs. I did try to work with her for landscaping also but due to schedule I could not work but given an opportunity I will work with her in future.
Details: Complete renovation of current landscape (e.g. replace soil, hardscape services) • Patio • Driveway • Walkway • Retaining wall • Front yard • Side yard • No, one-time project • Home
Outdoor Landscaping and Design
FAQs
What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?
We work with budgets from $10,000 to $100,000+
We would like to discuss budget at the start of design process so we want to make sure the design team understands how to best use your budget and deliver a design that is based on your needs and wish list.
What is your typical process for working with a new customer?
We are responsible for your ‘design development’ actually stay with your project throughout the process—from design approval to final completion. We can also offer services separately by providing hourly or flat fee proposals for the design work, and to help develop a budget, we can include the construction estimating in those fees. After the design is completed, our clients are free to have their plans bid on by other contractors.
What types of customers have you worked with?
We're happy to work with anyone who has either interior or landscape space and wants to improve or upgrade it.
