Meet your Business Services & Household Services Stars
After six weeks of nominations and voting, polling for the 2026 Alameda Community Stars Awards ended on February 17. Almost 90,000 votes were cast for 1,995 contenders across 182 categories in nine divisions. Following a brief audit and cleanup of duplicate votes, we are ready to share the results and announce the winners from each category. Second and third runners up and other contenders are listed in their respective categories on the AlamedaStars website.
On Tuesday, we listed the community’s choices for Stars in the Arts & Culture and Personal Services divisions. Today we detail the winners of the Business Services and Household Services divisions. Winners in the Food & Drink and Sports & Recreation divisions will be listed on Thursday, and Friday will feature the Retail, Community, and Kids & Family division winners. The Alameda Stars website will remain available to the public for the rest of the year, so you can check the standings anytime you like.
Thank you to everyone who participated in the competition, whether as a contender, a voter, or both. Be sure to show your appreciation by patronizing these Alameda businesses and service providers!
Business Services
- Accounting / Tax Practice – Lars G Hansson
- Architect – Drafting Cafe Architects
- Attorney / Legal Services – Law Office of Gina M. Mariani
- Auto Body Shop – Alameda Auto Body and Services
- Auto Mechanic / Repair – Jerry’s Tire and Auto Center
- Auto Services / Parts – Big Discount Tire Pros
- Bank / S&L / Credit Union – Bank of Marin – Marina Village
- Bookkeeper – Agatha Sembajwe
- Computers & IT – ABM Computers
- Dry Cleaner / Laundry Services – Martinizing Dry Cleaners
- Financial Planner – Edward Jones – Dominic J McKenna, AAMS®
- Graphic Designer – Red Tie Printing Inc.
- Hotel / Overnight Accommodations – Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham Oakland/Alameda
- Insurance Agent – Kelly Lux – State Farm Insurance Agent
- Marketing – Heidi Bennett Social Media Specialist
- Mortgage Broker – Chris Granger – Xpert Home Lending
- Notary / Fingerprint / Live Scan – Western Notary Services
- Packing & Shipping Services – The UPS Store – Blanding Ave
- Photographer – Sam Breach Photography
- Printing Services – SpeedPro East Bay
- Promotional Products – All Good Living AGL Collective
- Real Estate Agent – Team Schuler
- Real Estate Broker – Kate McCaffrey Group
- Real Estate Firm – Team Schuler
- Smog Shop – Alameda Smog
- Storage Facility – Extra Space Storage – Clement Ave
- Videographer – Maurice Ramirez Photo
View Business Services division on AlamedaStars.com.
Some of the busiest of the 27 categories in the Business Services division were in the Real Estate categories. Team Schuler bested the Andrea Ruport Team at Compass as well as Ringo Liu at Keller Williams to take the coveted Star Real Estate Agent. Team Schuler also took top honors as the Star Real Estate Firm, ahead of the Kate McCaffrey Group and Ryan Dunn Coast + Co. However, Kate McCaffrey Group got more votes than Team Schuler and Ryan Dunn Coast + Co to take the Star in the Real Estate Broker category.
Alamedans chose the Marina Village branch of the Bank of Marin for Star Bank/Savings & Loan/Credit Union, ahead of the South Shore branch and Poppy Bank. For other financial needs, Lars G Hansson won Star Accounting/Tax Practice, followed by Elizabeth Kugler and Ryan Van Valer, while Agatha Sembajwe was the choice for Star Bookkeeper, over Zap Payroll, R&R Professional Services, and Blakely Tax and Bookkeeping Services. The pick for Star Financial Planner was Dominic J McKenna, followed by E. Demmler & Associates and Kevin Kennedy.
On the creative side of business, Star Photographer was a very active category, with Sam Breach earning top honors out of 20 contenders, followed by John Burton and Anne Hohler. Maurice Ramirez is Alameda’s Star Videographer for 2026, earning the nod over Castaway Creative and Noel.Video. Top choice for the Architect category Star was Drafting Café Architects, ahead of Thomas Saxby and Daniel Hoy.
Household Services
- Contractor / Builder – Alameda Property Maintenance
- Electrician – T.E.C. Electrical & Fabrication
- Exterminators / Pest Control – Burge Pest Control
- Housekeeper / Home Cleaning – Bubble Magic Ultrasonic
- HVAC Services – Comfort Air Mechanical Systems
- Interior Design – Market and Nest
- Landscaping – McDaniels Landscaping
- Painting – Olson’s Painting Co
- Plumber – Bonafide Plumbing
- Remodeling – The Glass Man & Sons Windows and Glass
- Roofing Contractor – Central Bay Roofing & Restoration, Inc.
View Household Services division on AlamedaStars.com.
In the Household Services Division, Bonafide Plumbing won the most votes for Star Plumber, leading A.T. Weber Plumbing and Ethan’s Plumbing. Star Painter was awarded to Olson’s Painting, while Better Call Paul for Painting and Western Painting & Improvements were runners-up. The Star Roofing Contractor for 2026 is Central Bay Roofing, followed by Bay Roofing and Advanced Roofing Services.
For those looking to change things up around their homes, Market and Nest is the choice for your Star Interior Design firm, followed by Ingrid Ballmann Interior Design and Threshold Design. The Star for Remodeling was won by The Glass Man & Sons, who topped Alameda Property Maintenance and Buestad Construction. McDaniels Landscaping was picked as Alameda’s Star Landscaping, ahead of Rendered Stone Landscapes and Enchanted Gardens Landscaping.
