Behr Construction

Behr Construction, also operating as Behr Building Company, Inc., is a full-service Southern California construction-management, remodeling, and custom-home contractor headquartered in La Cañada Flintridge. Founded in 1975 by Chris Behr, the company has spent five decades serving homeowners, design professionals, property owners, and referral partners with a hands-on approach to residential construction, renovation, restoration, and project delivery. Its California General Building contractor registration is B409066, associated with Behr Construction’s La Cañada office in public permit records.

The company is built around comprehensive project oversight—from early feasibility conversations, budgeting, planning, and design coordination through construction, closeout, and final completion. Behr positions itself as the accountable leader of the project team, coordinating the homeowner, architect, vendors, subcontractors, and field personnel to keep work moving on schedule, within a defined budget, and to a high standard of workmanship. The firm emphasizes direct communication, transparent expectations, jobsite organization, safety, and lasting client relationships as central elements of its operating philosophy.

Behr’s primary focus is high-quality residential work, including custom new-home construction, whole-house renovations, additions, kitchen and bathroom remodeling, repairs, alterations, and specialty exterior projects. The company also offers flood- and fire-damage reconstruction, commercial tenant improvements, construction management, real-estate development support, construction consulting, expert witnessing, and referral-only default-project takeovers where a prior contractor has been terminated or has breached a contract. This breadth makes Behr suited to both straightforward remodeling work and complex, high-stakes projects that require experienced coordination and problem-solving.

According to the company, its team has accumulated more than 90 years of combined construction experience and has developed working knowledge through more than 4,000 job sites since 1975. Behr reports experience with projects ranging from small repairs beginning around $500 to custom residences valued above $10 million, including projects approximately 1,500 to 10,000 square feet. The company’s publicly listed 2019 performance data reported $4.70 million in remodeling revenue across 50 jobs, with full-service remodeling listed as its primary focus.

Behr describes itself as a bonded, non-union California general-building contractor and says it has been recognized in Qualified Remodeler’s Top 500 list from 1996 onward. The company also notes local recognition as Crescenta Valley Weekly’s Finest General Contractor in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2017. These credentials reinforce its positioning as an established, locally rooted contractor with the operational range to manage substantial residential projects across Southern California.

Core services:

Custom-home construction and new residential builds

Historic-home renovation and architecturally sensitive restoration

Specialty construction, including decks, pools, tennis courts, parking areas, windows, doors, and exterior improvements

Construction management and real-estate development support

Construction consulting and expert witness services for homeowners, attorneys, and insurance companies

Default-project takeover and completion, by referral

Behr specifically notes work on historic residences associated with noted architects including Paul Williams, Wallace Neff, Greene and Greene, Cliff May, and Frank Lloyd Wright—an indicator that it seeks projects requiring careful stewardship of architectural character, detail, and craftsmanship.

Behr’s leadership team combines long-term company tenure with field, estimating, office-management, and project-management experience. Chris Behr is identified as founder. The company lists Jeff Baker as Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, and head of estimating; John Mills as Vice President and Chief Technical Officer; and Kurt Knechtel as Vice President and Chief Information Officer.

Kurt Knechtel joined Behr in 2001 after working with another San Gabriel Valley general contractor. In addition to project-management responsibilities, he oversees general office and employee management. His role supports the company’s emphasis on organized operations, client communication, schedule coordination, and a hands-on management style.

The company also highlights substantial staff longevity: Jeff Baker has been with Behr since 1986, Sandy Tucker since 1993, John Mills since 2000, Kurt Knechtel since 2001, Matt Vuyovich since 2005, and estimator Dave Prange has more than 20 years with Behr and nearly 45 years in residential remodeling. That continuity is meaningful for homeowners seeking an experienced, stable team rather than a contractor dependent on temporary crews or outsourced management.

Behr states that it is a member of the U.S. Green Building Council and incorporates green-building considerations into its work. Its published sustainability materials reference green-home certification guidance, low-VOC paints, sealers, and adhesives, as well as stated recycling practices for construction and demolition debris. The firm says it recycles mixed construction and demolition debris at a 75% rate and inert materials—such as concrete, asphalt, rock, and dirt—at more than a 90% rate. Those figures are company-reported and should be treated as operational claims rather than independently certified performance metrics.

Beyond construction work, Behr presents itself as an active local business. It lists affiliations with the La Cañada Flintridge Chamber of Commerce, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Federation of Independent Business, Better Business Bureau, U.S. Green Building Council, Contractors State License Board, Western Regional Master Builder Association, and American Institute of Architects. The firm also lists support for a range of local civic, youth, educational, charitable, and community organizations.