Honesty, Integrity, Quality Craftmanship
Freestyle Builders is a family-owned and operated general contracting company, run by myself Gerald Castillo, and my son Lance-Jeremy. I was born and raised in Santa Barbara and have been building here in my hometown since 1979. I have always loved building, the creative process of bringing ideas to life is a very rewarding experience, one that is truly enhanced by appreciative clients. My son and our crew share the same sense of accomplishment and satisfaction in building that I do, which is reflected in the quality of our work and our many satisfied clients.
Our Services Include
~New Custom Homes~
~Renovations~
~Remodeling~
The services we provide for all our projects both large and small include working attentively with owners, architects, and engineers, value-efficient design recommendations, as well as scheduling and cost management throughout construction to ensure projects are completed on time and budget.
Consultations
Call to discuss your project
Satisfied Clients
Please review our
client testimonials.
Licensed & Insured
Lic No. #543982
Satisfied Clients
“Gerry built my home, and it is extraordinary. Then he modified it for me thereafter. All aspects of his work included meticulous detail in many areas including carved beaming, unique doorways, artistic ceiling designs of many variations, brick detail around the eves of the house, plaster finishes, an electric in-floor door to my office, a secret room hidden behind a mirror, an advanced whole-house lighting system, an incredible chef’s kitchen, and many more truly unique details. Aside from these details Gerry’s overall construction is bulletproof, sensible, well thought out and managed. I trust Gerry to make decisions in my absence because I know he will do what I would have wanted, and he will do so in a cost-efficient way. The Freestyle crew is ethical, reliable, friendly, experienced, and talented. I use only Freestyle Builders because there is no doubt that the end product is one, I will be delighted with. I highly recommend Freestyle Builders; you will be delighted with the process and the outcome.”
Jamie Greenwald
“Gerry Castillo, and Freestyle Builders, have represented us exclusively in support of six “down-to-the-studs” remodeling projects in Santa Barbara. In all instances, the finished products exceeded our expectations both as measured by the quality of the work and the effortless and efficient day-to-day management. Our latest Mission Street project required a disciplined and precise skill set as Freestyle Builders was tasked with retaining the integrity of a home built originally in 1902. What is not transparent in this affidavit is the passion that Gerry and his team bring to their work. He is a taskmaster and insists on delivering an unparalleled standard of excellence to his work – whatever its scope. We recommend Freestyle Builders should you be influenced by craftsmanship that will bring you added value, and praise and joy.”
Bobbie & Gerry Rubin
“Over the last 20 years we’ve built and/or renovated over 10 homes around the country. Recently, we worked with FSB to renovate a home in Santa Barbara, and we’ve never had a more transparent and seamless experience! FSB is resourceful, efficient, organized, diligent, and tidy! And organized billing is a major plus! From the planning process to the execution of the plans - we trust FSB (Gerald and Lance) to look out for our best interests and make sure the work is done to the standards of the finest builders anywhere in the country.”
William & Donna Hines
Lic.# 543982
“Gerald has been the contractor on 3 residential projects and 1 commercial tenant improvement project of mine in the last 6 years, all of which have been built with great skill and attention to detail. Gerald is easy to work with, always punctual and extremely well organized. He has a great team of employees and responsible subcontractors who share his high level of professionalism. I particularly value his input on options for improved construction details that add value to the project. Gerald is very conscientious about staying on time and on budget. In summary, Gerald is a pleasure to work with and earns great respect from his and my clients who value his judgment, integrity, and professionalism.”
Duffy Smith, AIA
“We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Freestyle Builders, for the job well done on our home in Montecito. It is rare to find a trustworthy and sensibly priced construction company in today’s market, and even more unusual when the owner is a builder/contractor, whose talents as a skilled builder with highly developed design skills, are equally matched by his ability to successfully manage the construction project with diligence and dedication. From the beginning of our construction project to the end, Freestyle Builders maintained regular contact and communication with us and was extremely conscientious and thorough in the work with remarkable attention to every detail. The services provided were consistently top quality, which definitely is a reflection of Gerry’s insistence on perfection. We have recommended Freestyle Builders to family, friends, and neighbors, and in every instance, received only glowing reports on the positive experience they enjoyed working with Gerry and his team. We will happily continue to refer Freestyle Builders to anyone who desires quality services from an exceptional contractor.”
Kevin & Cynthia Schantz
“We met Gerry through our project architect. Though we interviewed other reputable contractors, Freestyle Builders stood out as being the most down-to-earth and flexible. Our project was to alter and extend a house of unusual design without compromising the integrity of the original architect’s vision. This entailed a fair amount of creative problem solving. Gerry’s input was invaluable with on-the-job stylistic suggestions and the professional know how necessary to accomplish what was needed. He always found the most sensible, efficient, and cost-effective way to accomplish the desired outcome. The Freestyle crew was skilled, and the materials used were of the highest quality. He worked with an efficient and highly competent team of subcontractors. The finished project proves that our choice of Freestyle Builders was certainly the best decision we could possibly have made, and we heartily recommend them.”
Stuart & Sandy Moss
“For anyone contemplating building a home….from the ground up, or any type of remodel….do yourself, your family, and your neighbors a favor and hire Gerry Castillo of Freestyle Builders. Gerry and his crew and the subcontractors he uses are hands down the very best, and we are so grateful to live in a house that Gerry built!
Gerry made our complicated construction process a truly enjoyable partnership. During every single day of our project, Gerry and his crew were prompt, friendly and professional. As a result of Gerry’s excellent work, our old rambling ranch-style house was transformed into a beautiful Spanish revival home that rivals any of the traditional Spanish homes in the Montecito/Santa Barbara area. We know that building or remodeling a home can be a daunting task, but with Freestyle Builders your project is in the hands of gifted artisans and uniquely skilled professionals. In addition to being an incredibly nice person, Gerry amazed us with his completely “hands on” approach. He was on the job, in person, every single day….always prepared and willing to help us as we made countless difficult decisions, big and small. He always made us feel confident that our 100% satisfaction was his primary concern. His dedication, his attention to detail, and his incredible work ethic always assured us that he was committed to building us the home of our dreams….and that’s exactly what he did. We cannot thank him enough.”
Dan & Kate Murphy
“Gerry Castillo, his son Lance, and the entire Freestyle Builders team provided a level of personalized service that made our home remodel effortlessly, and the experience exceeded our expectations. Not a day goes by that we aren’t aware of the superior workmanship they provided as we enjoy the beauty of our home. Gerry’s professional and personal interactions with us at all times gave us the assurance that we needed as we proceeded through the process. His superior work ethic and high level of competence coming from his many years of experience, along with his attentiveness to our desires, made working with Gerry and his team a very rewarding time for our family. If you are looking for outstanding, quality workmanship, design ability, and professional integrity, Freestyle Builders exemplifies these qualities and more.”
Pete & Joan Pedroff
“We worked with Gerald Castillo, the principal of Freestyle Builders, from 2017 to 2019 and we are pleased to provide the strongest possible reference for Gerry and his team.
Gerry was retained by us in the fall of 2017 to undertake a substantial renovation to our home on Randall Road in Montecito. After having two conversations with Gerry, we decide to engage him. In those meetings, we saw glimmers of the traits we would come to know well as our project unfolded: Gerry’s formidable expertise, his ample dedication and professionalism, his boundless creativity, his honesty, decency, and consummate good cheer. Gerry’s professionalism, dedication, and honesty were particularly important to us since we reside on the east coast and would be directing the project from across the country. We needed someone in whom we could place our complete and total trust.
As it turned out, these traits were sorely tested when our house was very badly damaged in the January 9, 2018 debris flow event. We were fortunately not in our Montecito home when the event occurred. Despite the fact that the project had barely started, Gerry became our eyes and ears on the ground. He secured the site, coordinated with various insurance personnel and government officials who had to inspect the property. He surveyed the extensive damage to our house and played point on securing necessary approvals and permits to re-build our home. And he was scrupulously fair in the budgets he developed for the re-build of the house. Someone else in Gerry’s shoes could have easily exploited our situation to mark up the cost of the work knowing how utterly dependent we were on Gerry’s services. But he did not.
We visited the site on several occasions. Each time, we were struck by how attentive and thoughtful Gerry was in identifying and anticipating issues for us, and in proposing smart, pragmatic solutions. We were also amazed by how well maintained the work site was. And how accurate Gerry’s progress was as against the schedules he gave us.
Ultimately, and to our great disappointment, after completing approximately half of our revised and greatly expanded project, we were forced to halt construction because the County decided to locate a debris basin on our street.
We can’t commend him more highly. With Gerry as contractor, you are assured of having a great project, but more than that, having the opportunity to work with someone who becomes a highly trusted agent and friend, who make whatever is thrown your way manageable, even pleasant. Few people who do renovations would say that about their contractor. We have no reservations.”
Ronald J Daniels
Contact Info
3061 Samarkand Drive
Santa Barbara, CA 93105