PlaceMakers Inc.
PlaceMakers, Inc., founded in 1995 in San Carlos, California, sells reclaimed and vintage building materials through an online showroom and physical yard, and provides general contracting and deconstruction services to homeowners, trade professionals, and institutional clients in the San Francisco Bay Area.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1995
- HeadquartersSan Carlos, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What PlaceMakers Inc. does
PlaceMakers, Inc. is a privately held San Carlos, California-based company founded in 1995 by James Dawes, operating across three integrated divisions: reclaimed building materials retail, general contracting, and deconstruction services. The materials division runs both a physical showroom and salvage yard at 1062 Center Street in San Carlos and an e-commerce platform cataloging reclaimed and vintage items across categories including concrete and masonry, metals, wood, openings (doors and windows), finishes, specialties (fireplaces), furnishings, plumbing, electrical/lighting, equipment, exterior/garden, and heating. Items are priced on a per-unit basis with public disclosure, ranging from $1.50 vintage bricks to $79,500 marble fireplace surrounds.
The construction division offers turnkey ground-up development, custom home remodeling, period restoration, and sustainable architecture projects, primarily targeting property owners and developers in the greater San Francisco Bay Area. The deconstruction division provides soft demolition and full salvage services for residential and commercial clients throughout the region, operating as an affiliate of The ReUse People to accept tax-deductible donations of building materials. The company has executed notable institutional projects including deconstruction work at Carolands Chateau in Hillsborough and Steinhardt Aquarium.
The business model combines direct-to-consumer retail (online and showroom), professional services for trade customers, and project-based contracting for larger jobs. Customer segments span homeowners and DIY renovators, trade professionals (contractors, architects, designers), and institutional/commercial clients. Marketing channels include the company website, MailChimp newsletters, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. With a 7-employee headcount and no disclosed funding or ownership changes, PlaceMakers operates as a founder-owned niche specialist serving the Bay Area's heritage restoration and sustainable building market.
PlaceMakers Inc. firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- PlaceMakers Inc.
- Legal name
- PlaceMakers Inc.
- Website
- https://placemakersinc.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1995
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- PlaceMakers, Inc., founded in 1995 in San Carlos, California, sells reclaimed and vintage building materials through an online showroom and physical yard, and provides general contracting and deconstruction services to homeowners, trade professionals, and institutional clients in the San Francisco Bay Area.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
PlaceMakers Inc. industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Reclaimed Building Materials & Construction Services
- NAICS
- Other Building Material Dealers (44418), Building Material and Supplies Dealers (4441), Furniture and Home Furnishings Retailers (4491)
- SIC
- Retail-Building Materials, Hardware, Garden Supply (5200), Retail-Lumber & Other Building Materials Dealers (5211), Retail-Home Furniture, Furnishings & Equipment Stores (5700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Architectural Salvage & Reclaimed Building Elements Retail (Doors, Windows, Mantels) (CRAIANAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Reclaimed Materials & Fixtures Retail (Cabinetry, Sinks, Faucets) (CRAIANAI), Masonry & Hardscapes Retail (Brick, Block, Pavers, Stone) (CRAIAEAF), Vintage & Antique Furniture Retail (CRAIANAB)
Keywords
Where PlaceMakers Inc. is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Carlos
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
PlaceMakers Inc. business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Reclaimed Building Materials Sales: Sale of salvaged and reclaimed building materials through their online showroom and physical showroom/salvage yard. Materials include vintage doors, windows, lighting, plumbing fixtures, hardware, flooring, stone, metalwork, and architectural artifacts. Items are priced individually (unit pricing) and sold as one-time transactions.
- General Contracting Services: Full range of general contracting services including turnkey ground-up development, custom home remodeling, period restoration, and sustainable architecture. Revenue generated through project-based contracting for construction services.
- Deconstruction & Salvage Services: Soft demolition and full deconstruction services including salvage operations, site protection, concrete demolition, and site cleanup. Services provided to residential and commercial clients throughout the greater San Francisco Bay Area.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Individual material items priced per unit |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Contracting and deconstruction services |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
PlaceMakers Inc. product offering
Product offeringCore offering
PlaceMakers Inc. sells salvaged, reclaimed, and vintage building materials (doors, windows, lighting, plumbing fixtures, hardware, flooring, stone, masonry, metals, wood, and architectural artifacts) through an e-commerce online showroom and a physical salvage yard/showroom in San Carlos, CA. In parallel, the company provides general contracting services (turnkey development, custom home remodeling, period restoration, sustainable architecture) and deconstruction/salvage services to clients throughout the greater San Francisco Bay Area.
Product overview
PlaceMakers Inc. is a San Carlos, CA-based company serving the construction industry since 1995, specializing in antique salvage and reclaimed building materials. The company operates a unified e-commerce platform (PlaceMakers Online Showroom) combined with physical showroom and salvage yard services. The product portfolio centers on salvaged, vintage, and reclaimed building materials organized into distinct categories: Concrete and Masonry (vintage bricks, stone), Metals (decorative iron, gates, railings), Wood (old-growth lumber, tongue and groove), Openings (historic doors, windows, hardware), Finishes (flooring, vintage tile), Specialties (fireplaces, kitchen/bath accessories), Furnishings (art, cabinets, furniture), Plumbing (luxury fixtures), Electrical/Lighting (chandeliers, sconces), Equipment, Exterior/Garden, and Heating. Beyond materials, the company offers two distinct service divisions: Construction (general contracting, remodeling, restoration) and Deconstruction (soft demolition, salvage services). The Construction Division provides turnkey development and heritage material integration, while the Deconstruction Division offers soft demolition and full deconstruction through an affiliate relationship with The ReUse People. The product categories function as both product lines and product pages within the e-commerce system.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- PlaceMakers Online Showroom (Reclaimed Building Materials) E-commerce platform for purchasing salvaged, reclaimed, and vintage building materials — doors, windows, lighting, plumbing fixtures, hardware, flooring, stone, masonry, metals, wood, and architectural artifacts — sold individually to homeowners, trade professionals, and institutional buyers.
- Construction Division (General Contracting Services) Full range of general contracting services including turnkey ground-up development, custom home remodeling, period restoration, and sustainable architecture projects delivered under project-based contracts in the San Francisco Bay Area.
- Deconstruction Division (Soft Demolition & Salvage Services) Soft demolition and full deconstruction services including salvage operations, site protection, concrete demolition, and site cleanup for residential and commercial clients throughout the greater San Francisco Bay Area, delivered under The ReUse People affiliate program.
- Heritage Building Materials Sourcing Sourcing and supplying heritage building materials and architectural artifacts — old-growth lumber, reclaimed stone, vintage doors, and antique fixtures — for period-accurate restoration and heritage preservation projects.
Companies that use PlaceMakers Inc.
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
PlaceMakers Inc. technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
PlaceMakers Inc. partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- The ReUse PeoplecorePlaceMakers Inc. is an authorized affiliate of The ReUse People, providing donation receipts for up to $5,000 in value. This partnership enables them to accept tax-deductible donations of building materials on behalf of The ReUse People organization, supporting their mission of deconstruction and material reuse while providing donors with legitimate tax deduction documentation.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
PlaceMakers Inc. competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- 1stDibs: Online luxury marketplace featuring antique and vintage furniture, lighting, and architectural elements including reclaimed building artifacts; broader TAM and national reach but less specialized than PlaceMakers' salvage focus.
- Restoration Hardware (RH): Luxury home furnishings retailer with showrooms and galleries; serves an overlapping high-end residential restoration and design customer base, though RH sells new (not reclaimed) product at a much larger scale.
- Habitat for Humanity ReStore: National chain of donated/salvaged building materials retail outlets; competes in the reused-building-materials space at much larger scale and geographic breadth, though with a different (donation-driven) supply model.
Direct peers
- Urban Remains: Chicago-based architectural salvage company selling reclaimed building materials (doors, columns, mantels, lighting, plumbing) with both showroom and online channels; comparable catalog and customer base to PlaceMakers.
- Big Reuse: New York City nonprofit building materials reuse center selling salvaged and reclaimed construction materials — directly comparable as a salvage-and-resale operator focused on heritage and sustainable building components.
- Olde Good Things: Architectural salvage retailer with physical showrooms and an online store selling reclaimed doors, mantels, lighting, plumbing, and decorative elements — the closest head-to-head analog to PlaceMakers' materials catalog.
- Habitable Spaces: Reclaimed building materials supplier focused on vintage doors, hardware, lighting, and architectural elements; comparable specialty catalog to PlaceMakers' heritage materials business.
- The ReUse People: California-based deconstruction and salvage organization and PlaceMakers' strategic affiliate partner; operates an overlapping reuse-and-salvage mission and is the closest functional peer to PlaceMakers' Deconstruction Division.
Emerging players
- Chairish: Online marketplace for vintage furniture, decor, and architectural pieces — overlaps with PlaceMakers' higher-end vintage furnishings, lighting, and decorative categories but does not handle heavy reclaimed building materials.
Regional players
- Second Use Building Materials: Seattle-based architectural salvage retailer offering reclaimed lumber, doors, windows, fixtures, and vintage building materials — comparable in business model but operating in a different Pacific Northwest geography from PlaceMakers' Bay Area focus.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
PlaceMakers Inc. social profiles
Digital presencePlaceMakers Inc. financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
PlaceMakers Inc. leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
PlaceMakers Inc. funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
PlaceMakers Inc. M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about PlaceMakers Inc.
What does PlaceMakers Inc. do?
PlaceMakers Inc. sells salvaged, reclaimed, and vintage building materials (doors, windows, lighting, plumbing fixtures, hardware, flooring, stone, masonry, metals, wood, and architectural artifacts) through an e-commerce online showroom and a physical salvage yard/showroom in San Carlos, CA. In parallel, the company provides general contracting services (turnkey development, custom home remodeling, period restoration, sustainable architecture) and deconstruction/salvage services to clients throughout the greater San Francisco Bay Area.
Is PlaceMakers Inc. a public or private company?
PlaceMakers Inc. is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was PlaceMakers Inc. founded?
PlaceMakers Inc. was founded in 1995. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is PlaceMakers Inc. based?
PlaceMakers Inc. is headquartered in San Carlos, United States, in the North America region.
How does PlaceMakers Inc. make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Reclaimed Building Materials Sales are the primary driver. The others are general Contracting Services and deconstruction & Salvage Services.
Who are PlaceMakers Inc.'s main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are 1stDibs, Restoration Hardware (RH) and Habitat for Humanity ReStore. Direct peers are Urban Remains, Big Reuse, Olde Good Things, Habitable Spaces and The ReUse People. Chairish is listed as an emerging player. Second Use Building Materials is listed as a regional player.
Does PlaceMakers Inc. have an API?
No public API is recorded for PlaceMakers Inc..
What industry is PlaceMakers Inc. in?
PlaceMakers Inc.'s product category is Reclaimed Building Materials & Construction Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAIANAH, Architectural Salvage & Reclaimed Building Elements Retail (Doors, Windows, Mantels), with a secondary code of CRAIANAI, Reclaimed Materials & Fixtures Retail (Cabinetry, Sinks, Faucets). Its NAICS code is 44418 and its SIC code is 5200.