Beronio Lumber Co

Good people working here. Nice dudes and they know their wood. Great selection as I purchased my wood from here for my room divider.

Well , when we need some lumber , hardware or just about anything one can need to build anything these people really have it Why go somewhere else ?

We need to perform some maintenance work in our backyard and needed 20 ft pressure treated 6x6. We looked at a few lumber yards and settled on Beronio. Due to the size of the lumber, we opted for delivery. Delivery cost was $80 (2 mile distance), other places we received quotes from were around the same, despite a longer distance, so I assume these are standard rates. My husband spoke to the sales rep and specifically asked if the lumber could be placed “inside.” No need to go up any stairs or make any turns. Just push it inside our house (straight shot in). The answer was Yes and that they would make sure it was delivered safely. My husband also asked if delivery could take place the next day, instead of same day as he could not be home. The sales rep said that tomorrow was an option but that today was best for them. So we agreed with the date, given the understanding that the lumber could be placed inside. When the driver arrived, only one person showed up. I asked if the lumber could be placed inside as we were told, but the answer was no, given that the size and weight was too much for one person. I understand the driver’s perspective as the lumber is incredibly heavy. However, I am also 9 months pregnant and clearly not in a position to help. It was for this very reason (husband not able to be home and me being unable to help carry anything heavy) that we asked about placing it inside. In the end the lumber was placed on the sidewalk, blocking the public right away, making it a trip hazard, and is currently waiting for my husband and brothers to arrive from work to help put it inside. While there is a solution, the lack of clarity from this company as to their delivery policy and their false claims on what the delivery would consist of, made for a very troubling experience. The driver stated that had a note been made on the delivery that we needed it to be placed inside, another person could have arrived to help. Once the lumber was offloaded from the truck, he also mentioned that they could have come back with someone else to help put it inside instead, but since it was off the truck he couldn’t do anything anymore. It would have been nice to have known that this could have been done without a fee prior to having the lumber taken off the truck. When we finally reached someone on the phone, after many many attempts, they stated that everything was spelled out in their delivery policy and that they always leave deliveries on the street and not inside. I assume that will be their response to this review. However, if this is the case then everything should be clearly stated to the customer before finalizing the transaction! Additionally, no promises should be made if they are not meant to be kept. This is extremely unprofessional and had we known, we would have purchased elsewhere or made sure that we had people around that could help and not just myself with my 36 week belly.

Rain or shine we still get dry wood

Tips for homeowners and non-contractors: * do not expect customer service here. It’s a place built for contractors and tradespeople so research what you need before you come as there won’t be anyone to help you pick anything out. People are here to get in and out with their wood. * you drive in the gate and can park near the hardware building on the right after the chain link fence. How it works is that you walk around, find the wood you want, find a “red hat” employee to write you a quote for the wood. They have some saws where they can help you cut it down. Then load your wood into your vehicle. You then drive out, but stop at the gate and show them your quote and let them inspect your cargo. Then you park just outside, then there is an office that you walk into, show them your quote, and then you pay. * nicer plywood is at the back of the hardware store. They have birch, walnut, red and white oak, maple, and some prefinished maple too. A hardware store employee can help you get the plywood using a forklift. * if you need them to cut down plywood they have a big panel saw in the back. You’ll take the plywood from the hardware store using one of their self service carts and then you will find a “red hat” employee to help you make some rough cuts to fit it in your vehicle. If they are busy they may only do 1 cut per sheet but when they are not busy they sometimes let me do 2 cuts per sheet. * the hardware store employees, the red hat employees, and the office employees all work for Beronio but each of these groups operate as seemingly completely separate entities so be prepared to be directed around depending on what you need. * enjoy your wood!

Very tight spot no overnight parking so park infront of their gate on road with flashers and checkin so they open at 05:00 am and they let you in if there are not too much truck once you are in they get u unloaded as per your turn my appointment was at 07:00 i showed up at 05:15 got in and after 2 flat beds they unloaded me in 1 hr and he said if there were 5 trucks in front of you than i would have to wait for 5 hrs they have a bathroom too so dont worry about it

Solid lumber place. You need to know what you want - no salespeople. I go here for all my trim needs. The guys working the floor are always happy to help find the right length or cut a longer piece down. It can be busy on Saturdays especially if you come closer to 1pm (closing time).

Highest quality and most extensive collection of lumber, mouldings and building hardware in San Francisco. Knowledgeable and friendly staff with encyclopedic knowledge of their inventory. Sufficient parking.

Knowledge staff, they let you choose and offer suggestions. They'll get you what you need. The "go-to" place for contractors. Fully stocked, big selection. Well-organized quality wood, paneling, studs, plywood, various grades and prices.

Legit lumber yard with an excellent selection of quality lumber and helpful staff ...........

Wonderful place for all things wood, trim, stair parts. Bill was very knowledgeable and helped me finalise the design of a stair railing. Pricing was transparent and everything arrived on time. We'll be back!

Great lumber- high quality, many grades to choose from. Great service too. Where the Pros go. (And a few newbies)

We need to perform some maintenance work in our backyard and needed 20 ft pressure treated 6x6. We looked at a few lumber yards and settled on Beronio. Due to the size of the lumber, we opted for delivery. Delivery cost was $80 (2 mile distance), other places we received quotes from were around the same, despite a longer distance, so I assume these are standard rates. My husband spoke to the sales rep and specifically asked if the lumber could be placed "inside." No need to go up any stairs or make any turns. Just push it inside our house (straight shot in). The answer was Yes and that they would make sure it was delivered safely. My husband also asked if delivery could take place the next day, instead of same day as he could not be home. The sales rep said that tomorrow was an option but that today was best for them. So we agreed with the date, given the understanding that the lumber could be placed inside. When the driver arrived, only one person showed up. I asked if the lumber could be placed inside as we were told, but the answer was no, given that the size and weight was too much for one person. I understand the driver's perspective as the lumber is incredibly heavy. However, I am also 9 months pregnant and clearly not in a position to help. It was for this very reason (husband not able to be home and me being unable to help carry anything heavy) that we asked about placing it inside. In the end the lumber was placed on the sidewalk, blocking the public right away, making it a trip hazard, and is currently waiting for my husband and brothers to arrive from work to help put it inside. While there is a solution, the lack of clarity from this company as to their delivery policy and their false claims on what the delivery would consist of, made for a very troubling experience. The driver stated that had a note been made on the delivery documents that we needed it to be placed inside, another person could have arrived to help. Once the lumber was offloaded from the truck, he also mentioned that they could have come back with someone else to help put it inside instead, but since it was off the truck he couldn't do anything anymore. It would have been nice to have known that this could have been done without a fee prior to having the lumber taken off the truck. When we finally reached someone on the phone, after many many attempts, they stated that everything was spelled out in their delivery policy and that they always leave deliveries on the street and not inside. I assume that will be their response to this review. However, if this is the case then everything should be clearly stated to the customer before finalizing the transaction! Additionally, no promises should be made if they are not meant to be kept. This is extremely unprofessional and had we known, we would have purchased elsewhere or made sure that we had people around that could help and not just myself with my 36 week belly.

When I decided to add a back deck to my house on my own, I quickly found out I was way out of my league. Luckily I met Marco at Beronio who not only patiently answered all of my questions, but he also didn't make me feel stupid for taking on such a huge project by myself. Beronio has a HUGE selection so you will need help finding things. Do yourself a favor and ask for Marco! You wont find better!

We were looking for balusters for our home but we live in Morgan Hill. Rick helped us but really provided great service. He helped us with photos, explained the inventory, and, when we arrived, had everything prepared for us. This was a great experience with Beronio and Rick definitely made an impression. Highly recommend them and ask for Rick for great service.

I'm a weekend hobby woodworker and I've been to Beronio a few times now. Selection of wood is good and things are priced well. It is a little intimidating as the guys that seem to come here are contractors or professionals, but the employees are helpful. There is a price sheet posted on the wall with current prices. The way it works here is you go into the warehouse and pick your own wood. If you need any boards to be cut bring it to the radial saw and they will help you cut them. Then you load up your car and call an employee over to write you up. Then you drive out front and bring the ticket inside the front office and pay.

I think this place has the best lumber supply/selection in town. If I'm wrong please let me know. Their selection of molding and hardwood is the great. The staff is all knowledgeable and helpful. At first it was a little daunting, mostly because the prices aren't listed. When you have questions about price you just have to ask. Some of the hardwood prices are listed on a list on an endcap. If you're looking for something hard to find this is the spot. I figure there are 10 or more types of hardwood, all of it better stock then you might find at a home depot. Personally, I'll dig through stacks of wood to find the best piece for a particular project. If you value a good piece of lumber like I do you'll probably appreciate this spot.

You want good quality lumber and hardware? Beronio Lumber on Marin Street in San Francisco is an excellent source of plentiful supplies. We will use the "Will Call" ordering process to speed up the purchase procedure in the future. Helps to have the proper size vehicle for transporting your goods.

Do not use them or let your contractor use them. They have no quality control and send special order items damaged, and are laughed at me when I tried to return there. I used them entirely for my lumbar, dropping $$, only to be laughed at returning items. Really disappointing.

The selection of lumber and trim products at Beronio is the best in San Francisco. The staff, however, are not very friendly or enthusiastic about helping customers. There are lots of warehouse workers, but they are visibly annoyed when you ask them to do anything. I am not too enthusiastic about coming back to Beronio - it's an unwelcoming environment.

This lumber yard has an extensive inventory and the staff is knowledgeable. With all the crazies and the construction world as far as prices go right now it's hard to judge how competitive they are on pricing, but service has a value!

Welp, I've now been here 3 times in the last 2 weeks because I'm working on some home renovation projects, and I haven't had a single negative experience. I've spoken to 5 different red hat guys, the sales office, and the guys who check your order at the gate, and every single one was courteous and helpful. No idea what people are talking about in these reviews where they say they were treated badly. You can actually walk up to the red hats and tell them what you're looking for, if you need stuff cut, what project you're working on, etc. I was there one day to buy 240 feet of fir 2x4s, and the red hat pointed out that the Hemlock is just as good as fir at half the price. He saved me hundreds of dollars and he didn't need to do that. The lumber quality is great and they have everything. The only thing that hurts is the price, which seems a bit higher than normal but not unreasonable.

Oof, this place is so close to my house I wish it was better. Great selection of wood- that's the only positive. Do you want to know how much something costs? Once you happen to track down a staff member, they will reluctantly consent to direct you to a price list, which has like half of the wood available on there and is not at all comprehensive or organized. Do you actually want to buy any of the wood? Track down a staff member and they will reluctantly consent to write you up a ticket. I suppose they sell so much lumber to contractors that they can afford to be totally dismissive of smaller buyers like me. Or they treat their employees so poorly that morale is in the dumps. This was my third and final visit to Beronio.

I cannot give this place enough stars! Bill took a lot of time helping me figure out every aspect of my project. I walked in there as a random off the street and he took the time to help me figure out everything I needed to achieve the look I needed for my very demanding client. If you have an Idea, these people can make it a reality!!!!!

My husband just called asking for a quote by linear foot of some composite decking, to which the man who answered responded 'if you have to ask, you can't afford it.' How in the world are they still in business if that's how they treat potential customers? And how do they not have pricing on their website? I would give negative stars if I could. They will absolutely not be getting our business.

Ive been doing business with these guys for 30 years. Their quality and selection is by far the best in the bay area and often when I'm doing a restoration project far away, like in Napa or down in the SouthBay, I'll still make the materials purchase at Beronios and schlepp it all the way to the job. Yes, the wood is that good. And worth it. As for the comments here about the rudeness-- the office staff is super nice. But yeah I know exactly who you're taking about. The guy With the tinted glasses and the mustache has the worst personality ever. In 1994 he made me cry when I was buying cedar decking and I have avoided him since. Everybody hates him. But listen, when you're back at your job site with the killer wood, the guy with the glasses and the mustache doesn't come with you. You just have the wood. And that deck I built in 1994 has lasted and lasted and every other project I've done has lasted and is a testimony to Beronio's buyers. They find the best wood from the best lumber mills and they sell it to you at Beronio. And if you pay a few nickels more it's well worth it. And most often actually, their prices are better than anybody's. No lie. SF LEGEND.

Great customer service. They showed us exactly what we wanted and let us take home a sample to make sure it was what we really wanted (to view the flooring in daylight and in the evening with artificial light). We placed the order the next day. Cost was great (approximately $1200 for natural wood flooring that was for a 198 square foot kitchen, and the felt that covers the subfloor), ordering was a breeze. The date they gave us was about a week later, 2 days late our order was ready for pick up. The guys at the lumbar yard were all very helpful and nice guys to deal with. Overall it was a positive experience. Now to get the new cabinets in and get this floor installed (self installation of course). 5 stars.

Better than your average HD or Lowes wood by far! No need to come here for your small-project misc plywood, subfloor replacement, or if you're just playing around trying to bring a Pinterest post to life and it's your first day playing with a handsaw.. ..but if you're looking for finish pieces, trims, cabinetry details and TRUE 2x4s (or 1x4s? or 1x9s? Primed even) Beronio is a great and easy solution to all your lumber problems. It's a very easy in and out, with a few steps: -drive inside -find everything you need -have someone write you up a receipt -load yourself or have someone do it (pro-tip: when in doubt, shrink-wrap) -drive back out -have the gate person check off on your receipt -park in the front -go inside the office by the gate to pay -off your merry way you go Everyone is very helpful if you have any questions, with the only exception being when it's too busy.. then it can be challenging trying to find someone to help you look for that one size of trim that's hiding somewhere while there are 20 contractors walking around putting in orders for full-on remodels.

There isn't really that much to say here. I was looking for some planks of pine wood for a personal project at home, and their prices were good, their staff was friendly and helpful, and their service was pretty prompt. Not much more I could ask for! And, despite initially telling me over the phone that they wouldn't cut down the planks to the 6' lengths I needed since I was ordering so many, they were totally okay doing it once I actually went in, so, hey, bonus! ***Accessibility Info*** Venue - Their sales office requires that you take a lift up to their back door, which you'll probably have to knock on a few times to get someone's attention. Bathroom - Not sure if they had any public ones.

First-time customer and was so impressed by their service and efficiency that I don't think I'll be doing my lumber shopping elsewhere ever again! Been working on a home/garden makeover the last couple months and this place blows all others out of the water when it comes to making a purchase & delivery as convenient as possible for the customer.

I think they have the best selection of hardwoods and moulding in the area. I chose them over Macbeaths when they were still here.

I go here often. Let me give everyone some tips. They will help you. Be sure to have some idea of what you want before you go in. Treated/untreated? 2x4? 2x2? 2x6? PIne, oak, redwood, birch? walnut? Drive on in past the fence/gate, park near the little hardware store area OR park near the wood you want to buy if you know where that is. Go in the first building on your left as you drive in. Look at the price chart on the wall for different prices and materials. Now go get one of the red carts just outside the building, near the red metal dumpster. Now load your cart up with your wood. If you need it cut, wheel it over to the saw in the first building, put it up on the saw table and get it lined up and ready, while you are doing this, count your boards. Now you need to find a person in a red hat and ask them to operate the saw for you. They will make the cut and give you a invoice to sign. It's not over, you have to now load your vehicle up with your wood, and BEFORE PAYING , I REPEAT DO NOT PAY YET, you now have drive outside of the main yard and REPARK your car OUTSIDE the fenced area you drove into. Upon exiting you must stop at the gate and let the man inspect your vehicle to make sure you have the correct amount that's listed on the invoice. Now after parking your car OUTside the main area, you must walk INSIDE the little blue building next to the gate and walk up to the counter and present them your invoice and then pay it. Then ,if you need to, use the bathroom in the same building and then leave and go about your day cutting a bunch of wood and reshaping it and nailing or stapling or gluing it into different more useful and profitable shapes. If you're lucky, its customer appreciation day and you get to eat a trip tip sandwich, or their are cups for the water jug. Love this place. I have so many splinters that it's a part of me, and I've hit my head on shit so many times there that I think I'm a part it it too. I even have a Beronio coffee cup I found at goodwill on market/mission.

I've been coming here for 15 years or more. I am not a contractor but more of a weekend carpenter. Great place. If you are a homeowner I would suggest coming on a Saturday or look on Google for less busy times. The staff is very knowledgeable but it can get very busy with the professionals and you could get lost in the mix. if it is not too busy, it is fun! I'd like to give then 4 stars, but I cannot, as they WILL NOT give me an account no matter how hard I try. The finance/account guy is not the coolest, but the rest of them are. Happy lumberyard-ing!

They've been our allies since we started in 1975. Go here for all your wood needs. They are the best!

This is a must go to place if you have one of these old Victorians and need a piece of molding or something. We thought we were going to have to get something custom made but they had exactly what we needed at a very reasonable price. The place itself is a little confusing but the people were so nice directing us to where we needed to go. They told us that this place has been in business for about a 100 years and they are used to stocking things these SF Victorians might need.

Pricey but they have everything in trim. Huge selection, high quality stuff. Desk staff barely cares. Deal with it.

I am a carpenter/contractor working in residential remodeling. I have been going to Beronio for over 6 years for materials, shopping for everything from a box of screws and some sikaflex, to special-order PSL beams. I have always had awesome service, whether from amazing and knowledgable John behind the hardware counter, and the team of awesome guys working back there with him, or the Men in Red who man the trim shack and lumber yard. I have never once, in these past years, encountered anyone who was anything but happy to be there, happy to help me, and happy to direct me to someone else quickly if they didn't have an answer for my question. The sales staff inside have also been outstanding. Whether I e-mail or call in to get quotes on material pricing, or have more intricate questions about the type of material they recommend for a certain application, I can tell that I am being advised by someone who knows what they are talking about. Beronio also has the best selection for in-stock trim in San Francisco/surrounding area, so don't waste your time going elsewhere trying to track down what you need. If they don't have it, chances are you'll have to get it custom-milled anyway. I love Beronio. Enough said. :)

The only reason this place is in business is because there are not a lot of competitors around. The way they treat their customers is despicable. As a women, it's even worse going to Boronio because they make sure you feel like an impostor wasting their precious man time. For example, there was a piece of wood I needed cut down and I couldn't lift it. The two employees I asked to help me bring it over to the saw refused. They told me to go find a cart out in the yard somewhere, drag the piece of wood onto it, and roll it up to them in the cutting area. The cutting area was about 40 feet from the piece I needed and it would have taken the guy 1 minute. So, I just left. Sadly, I had to return recently to get some rounded shingles. I tried to find another store that had them but this was the only place. So, I went in, grabbed my shingles box and as I walked towards the office to check out, this guy in a cubicle started pounding on the window yelling, "get back in the lumber yard and get a pink ticket." like I was going to steal them. So, after waiting ten minutes, I got my ticket from one of the asshole employees. Then, I spent another 5 minutes waiting for someone in the office to gather up the strength to stand from their chair and ring me up. I truly despise this place, and would recommend Victoriana, Lowe's or even Home Depot over coming here. I hope that one of the management employees reads these reviews on yelp someday and teaches their employees how to be polite, helpful and pleasant towards their customers instead of treating them like worms.

I have to agree wiht Joel, the first to review this crap hole. I've been going here for a long time, and I know how to handle the "baloney-hole" guys as well. They are in trouble when Home Depot comes in next year. I know it's hard doing business in the city, but jeez, couldn't you get any more apathetic? The employees are all on anti-depressants. And they couldn't find any materials if they were standing on top of them. Which half the time they are! If you can't find a person to write you a ticket so you can buy your stuff and get the hell out of there, don't go at lunch, because it's even worse! They have a huge stock of trims, but if you pay through the ass for it what is the advantage of having a big selection to choose from? They won't go out of business, for at least the first year when Home Depot goes in. But check them out after 1 year, they will be having a huge Going-Out-Of-Business sale. You won't be missed.

Great service, total professionals, great knowledge. If you are serious and want good lumber come here. This is the spot and they have been in business for a very long time. Support this local business. You will not get the expertise found at Beronio Lumber at Lowe's or Home Depot.

Enough is enough. If you have not read the 1 star and 2 star reviews here, go ahead to view how bad people, customers or non-customers, were handled. I don't expect this place will improve any times soon. Not ever the best and will never be the best. More than 100 years of business means nothing if customer experience is not your focus and something you try to do day after day. Be prepared for all the terrible experience that some people have gone through over so many YEARS!

I love this place!! As an interior designer I always find what I need here. It's my understanding Beronio Lumber primarily works with contractors, not homeowners so It's best to do your homework before showing up. You'll have a much better experience here if you know what you want and don't expect them to work out all the details of your project with you. Gwen McClure, Place It

After reading many of the review, its seems that the service experience is a big issue for a lot of reviewers. I felt I should pitch in a contrasting viewpoint, since I had no such problems. Last year we remodeled our Victorian style home, and came here at the reccomendation of our contractor for the molding, casing and other period trim. I found their pricing to be competitive with other local and online sources. The variety of styles was good and when we went over there to look at samples in person, we got competent service from those employees that we had occasion to interact with. The only frustration was with their hours, which are geared toward contractors rather than homeowners or individuals who don't shop for lumber for a living. A 430pm closing time meant we couldn't just go there after work. That being said, I found their online catalog very easy to use, and was able to walk in there knowing exactly what models we wanted to see, and it probably saved us some of the pain experience by others.

The selection and quality of the wood is usually very good. The lumber yard staff is surly and usually treats the customer as if they are annoyed you exist. To other reviewers here: It has nothing to do with "expecting it to be like a Starbucks". It's disappointing to run into this problem nearly every time I go there, but it is only a mile from the house.

I had never been in a lumber yard and yeah I was nervous and intimidated but I wanted to avoid Home Depot. Found the nicest, most helpful employee. Everyone was helpful, explaining the process, etc. I felt empowered!

As a designer and contractor I've had the odd occasion to shop at the lumber yard and at their window/door store nearby. The selection covers your bases way more than the big box guys and especially to match Victorian moldings, there are few other options. The people in the sales office have always been helpful. Whereas the people in the stockyard can be less so - but no less than those at the big box guys where there are too many products and too many inexperienced stock people. One thing to keep in mind is that the needs of a contractor who buys a lot and knows what they want compared to a home owner who might need more hand holding are different. Which is why there are different types of stores geared to different types of customers. That being said - they could be a bit nicer and more helpful in the yard. However, the two star ding is for the process. There is really no set of signs which tell you how to look for, load and pay for your products. It is kind of backwards to drive out of the gate and have to park again to pay for things. On a separate note - the window and door place had lots of options to choose from. They were a bit slow on the help and response time - particularly for long lead orders. But overall they're professional and know the details about their products. And custom work can be ordered there.

So I am a contractor in the city here and am forced to go to Beronio Lumber from time to time. Yes they have wonderful high end wood material unlike Home Depot or Lowes. But as the other reviews mention, they are complete A-Holes. Their attitude sucks and they want you to kiss there asses. They know that for higher end projects, your options are limited without driving 10 to 40 miles away so they just don't care. Its so infuriating and sad really that they have to be like that. In all fairness, their a couple of good guys there but the management sets the tone of attitude and it definitely trickles down.

This is the first place to go if you are looking for building supplies needed for an old San Francisco home. There quality and selection are superb. I will agree with other reviewers that this place is challenging the first couple of times you go. There is a very specific way you have to get what you want, then get the order ticket and then pay at the front office. To be honest this is a lumbar yard targeted towards contractors who know what they want and can help themselves. They are not staffed like a a small hardware shop might be, and that shows in the service complaints in some of the other reviews. In my experience, if you do have a specific question they are nice and helpful. Getting that help can be challenging though. At the end of they day if you need a specific moulding or high quality building materials this is the place to go, just don't be in a hurry.

Great place they have almost everything you need at this lumber yard. Great costumer service and a lil eyecandy for the lady's

We have had good luck when visiting personally, but a phone call for information about lumber was met with, well, boredom, and one-word answers.

The guys in the yard were very helpful, great guys, compared to the sales people in the office. I really feel sorry for the guys in the office, they look and act demoralized, they obviously hate their job and it shows. I really don't understand why a company employs people who don't like their job and don't like people as well. There are plenty of lumber yards in the bay area, so if I were you I'd avoid Beronio unless you want some sad, demoralized, impolite cashier office worker ruin your day.

I have a new redwood deck that is in need of staining. After getting no real help at Lowe's I figured I would check with these guys for a recommendation for a staining product. The gal in the front office was extremely helpful recommending a quality product and some tips on when and how to apply the stain. My deck now looks great!

I'm a licensed General Building Contractor and I've been doing residential remodeling since 1972. I've been shopping at Beronio for nearly that long, but always with a great deal of reluctance. Why? Because ever since the very first time I went there, I've been treated quite shabbily by the employees. I've shopped at many, many different lumber yards on both sides of the bay and Beronio is by far the worst with regard to customer-friendliness, common courtesy, and helpfulness. Their basic sales procedure is non-standard. Whereas many establishments help you write up your order, then take your payment, and then help you locate and load your materials, at Beronio it's the reverse. First you get the lumber (and woe unto you if you need help finding and/or loading items), then you must get your order "written up." This can be done only by a certain few employees, wearing a certain color cap, and it can be deucedly difficult to find ANY of them -- much less one who isn't already taken. Then you're expected to drive your vehicle out of the lumber yard (but your load is inspected, and the write-up verified by an inspector at the gate, and your vehicle license number recorded), and you park OUTSIDE the lumberyard's fenced in area, and you walk back to the office whereupon you pay for your goods. The sole advantage to this backward way of doing things is that you do get to see (i.e. inspect) the actual material you'll be buying. My biggest single complaint has been the ATTITUDE of the employees out in the yard. Whereas, in my opinion, THEY should be looking for YOU, and asking how they can help you -- on nearly every one of my visits, the contrary has been the case. I have to first know which color HAT indicates the type of employee I need (again one for loading, another for writing up the load), then I have to find one who's available, or will be soon, then I'm often made to feel as though I need to genuflect or in other ways supplicate the employee so that he will deign to serve me, and then, finally, I load up, drive out, walk back, and pay. On the positive side, the prices there are not above average, and the selection is above average. They stock quite a few sizes of lumber, for example, that Home Depot does not. My first suggestion to improve the customer experience there would be to post large signs so that they're EXTREMELY VISIBLE and easy to understand, which detail their non-standard shopping procedures. Second, a high-powered crash course for all their employees, stressing how more friendly treatment of your custormers is beneficial to the company and to the customers. Third, if any of the old-timers there simply can't lose their "attitude," either give them a position where they have zero customer contact -- or FIRE 'em.

I HATE THIS PLACE! Can I give zero stars? I used one of my precious days off to go here and order doors for my house in SF--what a waste of time. First, business is conducted at several small dung-hole offices scattered over two city blocks. If you walk into the wrong office, you will be treated like an imbecile and with a big sigh, told where to go. I went to the windows and door office, and thought I might finally get my new walnut and glass doors. I diligently faxed an accurate door schedule to them, complete with drawings prepared by one of the best architecture firms in the city. Multiple phone calls, faxes, emails and a second visit to Beronio, and guess what? Two months later and still no response from them. I was never given an estimate or given the chance to place an order. What, I have to beg you guys to allow me to buy doors from you? The total order was probably going to be in the $30k range, is that too small of an order?

I really didn't think that hardware stores got any worse than Home Depot. Then I had to go to Beronio. The setting is Berkeley, a job site I am managing where we have replaced all the windows in the house. We realize that we aren't going to be able to reuse the rough-sawn cedar faced exterior-grade plywood we had taken off the house because our new windows are different sizes from the old ones. We need new material. I have previously inquired at my usual standby hardware store - Truitt and White in Berkeley, and ascertained that they do not stock the needed sheet goods and that I will have to find another supplier. I inquire by telephone amongst other project managers and learn that Robert Greer has previously acquired said material from Beronio - oh no I think, anywhere but there. After cursory inquiries to other, more local, hardware stores with more helpful, hardworking staff members I finally set out upon my mid-morning journey, only stopping briefly for breakfast at the local co-op bakery. Upon my arrival at the dreaded vendor I proceed to the office, aware that I am not in possession of a small plastic token issued by the aforementioned hardware supplier, without such a token I will not be able to proceed with my purchase, for unlike every other hardware store in the known universe which keep records of every member of each company permitted to purchase goods on account, Beronio issues a single plastic token to each company, one only, regardless of the size, scope, or meaning, and without this token I will not be able to proceed forthwith. I must to to the office, to the back, to find the small mousy little man who will issue me a special chit, good this time only, allowing my purchase and permitting the continuance of my adventure. Upon penetration I am misdirected several times and have a hilarious encounter where I request help in finding my desired material only to learn that they work in hardware, sir, and there's a list over there telling you what's in this where house, you need to go find a guy outside in a red baseball hat and he will know what you must do. Misdirected again by another group of employees, I finally find what I am looking for by accident and after loading my truck begin the process of trying to find the man in the yard who must come to my truck and write down what I have so that I can take this written ticket to another man at the other end of the yard and pay. 23 agonizing minutes later I am on the freeway sucking down a joint with a ferocity unmatched by Mt. St. Helens. I will not go back.

This place sucks. They have screwed up several orders and have no accountability. I spent a fortune here for my house -- they sold me crappy wood that was not what they claimed it to be. They treated my contractor (who is Latino) in ways that were utterly inappropriate. When I called to let them know about the crap they sold me and reach an amicable resolution, they were unbelievably rude. They screwed up another order and I can't even get the rep to call me back. I am shocked that this place stays in business and will never set foot here again.

I come to Beronio a few times a year and I never experience the kind of bad service people here write about. It's not Home Depot folks -- it's a lumber yard... Their bread and butter is contractors, but the prices are good, selection is very broad, and I have only had decent, professional service despite being largely clueless to the trade.