for Builders & GCs
100 listings for specialty contractors in Alameda County on Cablanico,
the B2B network where builders and GCs hire their trades.
100contractors27trades51licensed98with websites12multi-county
Public directory
Specialty contractors cover the scopes that fall outside the core trade sequence but still have to land somewhere on the schedule: elevator and fireplace installation, garage doors, epoxy and polished concrete flooring, carpet installation, sheet metal fabrication, wine cellars, asphalt paving, and restoration work after fire or water damage. The subcategory also includes general contractors, home builders, ADU builders, room addition and garage conversion contractors, and basement builders. These are firms a developer or owner's rep might engage as a prime, or that a GC might partner with on overflow work. For a general contractor, the planning question with most of these scopes is sequencing. Elevator contractors need the hoistway framed and inspected before equipment ships, and lead times on cab equipment can run months, so they belong in preconstruction conversations, not the finish phase. Epoxy and polished concrete contractors need a cured, clean slab and usually want the space to themselves, which pushes them late in the schedule alongside carpet installers. Fire and water damage restoration contractors typically enter through an insurance claim, and their scope often hands off to conventional trades once demolition and drying are complete, so it is worth defining that boundary in writing before both firms are on site. Garbage removal, post construction cleaning, and pressure washing services close out the job, and handyman services are useful for punch-list items too small to bring a licensed trade back for. In California, most specialty scopes map to a specific CSLB classification, such as C-11 for elevators and C-61 limited specialty for several others, while general building contractors carry a B license. We recommend confirming that any contractor's license and insurance are current before contracting; California's CSLB publishes a free public license lookup, while states like Texas regulate general contracting at the city or county level, so check with the local authority where the project sits. Scope clarity matters more here than in the core trades, because specialty work is exactly where two subcontractors' scopes are most likely to overlap or leave a gap.
During design or early preconstruction, before the hoistway is framed. Elevator equipment often has lead times measured in months, and the hoistway dimensions, pit depth, and overhead clearance have to match the specific unit ordered. Getting the elevator contractor's shop drawings before framing avoids expensive rework.
After the slab has fully cured and after messy overhead trades are done, but before fixtures and equipment are set. Most epoxy and polished concrete contractors need exclusive access to the space and controlled temperature and humidity during application and cure. Coordinate the cure window with the trades that follow so nothing rolls across a floor that is not ready.
Most restoration firms own mitigation, meaning demolition, drying, and antimicrobial treatment, through the point where moisture readings are documented as acceptable, and many hand the rebuild to a separate GC or the owner's existing contractor from there. Drywall, flooring, and paint scopes then run like conventional trade work. Put the hand-off point and the required documentation (moisture logs, and clearance testing if mold was involved) in both contracts so nothing falls between them.
Based in San Jose, Berkeley, Hayward11also serveSanta Clara County
CSLB treats elevator work as its own specialty classification, C-11, and its guidance places that scope outside what a general building contractor typically self-performs, so GCs generally subcontract it to a C-11 firm. Several other niche scopes in this subcategory map to C-61 limited specialty subcategories in the same way. We recommend confirming a sub's classification and insurance through CSLB's free public lookup before contracting.
Both models are common in California. A dedicated ADU builder brings familiarity with state ADU standards and local approval patterns, which can shorten the permit cycle; running it under the primary GC simplifies site logistics and single-point responsibility. We recommend confirming the license classification and insurance of whichever firm holds the contract; California's CSLB lookup is free and public.
