Swiss Handyman

I use Swiss Handyman all the time. This time, some boards on the outside of my garage had dry-rot and needed to be replaced to prevent termites from moving in. Rico came and took pictures and measurements that day so he could get the new boards. I went and picked up the stain I wanted for when he came back to complete the job. Once he started staining, I saw that Home Depot gave me the stain with the wrong color and finish. He waited for me to go get the right one(I wanted to make sure they got it right), and didn't charge me for the time he waited. As always, the work he did was beautiful. I can't be more happy with the way my garage looks now!

I called Swiss Handyman to make an appointment for an estimate on fixing the siding and fascia on the side of my house that had been torn off from the wind. I knew it would be an interesting fix/problem as my house is on a hill and it would be hard to get to the section that was damaged. All went well with the appointment. He felt that he most likely could not do the job himself because he did not have insurance to work at that height. He said he would contact someone he subcontracts and he took measurements, etc. and said he would email an estimate. We also looked at other potential projects that I was interested in doing and I told him I would be interested in getting those done once we completed this project. I never heard from him again.

Jon, the workman, came on time and worked diligently on the project. Installing the door went quickly, what took so long was the window. I had someone else give the dimensions and it turned out they were too wide and too short. Jon tried hard to make everything fit, but we finally gave up and the window is in the door and everything is secure. I will use Jon's services again in the future. He was easy to work with and willing to listen to my suggestions and ideas, which is hard to find in many workmen.

It was a trial-and-error process. We didn't know the extent of the damage to the wall or shed prior to starting the job.The demo of the backside of the shed revealed more work than anticipated. Consequently the labor price increased. We also needed the shed roof replaced and a gutter attached to hopefully prevent future erosion from the neighbor's property and moisture collection under the shed. The roof work was contracted via Swiss Handyman -- they did not do the work. A trash bin was ordered after the demolition started so there was trash in the driveway for a couple days. In addition, too many railroad ties were ordered and had to be returned to Home Depot after they sat in the driveway for a couple days. The replaced flooring of the shed was not uniform and the Swiss Handyman folks came back to sand down the seams between the plywood floor boards. They still are not completely uniform. But, I accepted the job as finished. I believe Swiss Handyman would have done whatever was necessary to make me satisfied.

Everything went incredibly smoothly. Arnold came one day to look over what we needed. He said that we'd have to make an appointment for the following week because they were busy. But the next morning I got a call from the company saying that they'd had a cancelation and did I want the technician to start the work that day. I work at home, it's not problem, I said sure - come on over. The technician, Ken, did, and was here from about 10 am until about 7pm. After that he had to come back for a half day at one point, then a whole day on the last day - staying until nearly 9 (which we were glad to have him do) so as to finish everything and not have to come back again. The end result was even better than what we had originally hoped for.

We have worked with the Swiss Handyman before--they did a complete kitchen remodel for us about a year ago, so the trust factor was very high on both sides. Arnold Huber, the contractor, runs a tight ship and oversees the projects carefully. Erik, the technician, was extremely competent and quick. The job was estimated to be completed in 6 days, and that is pretty much how long it took. I appreciated Erik's coming over to check that we had everything before the start of the work. As a result, we discovered that we needed some extra bullnose tile and metal strips that would have slowed the progress if we hadn't had the "heads up." We trusted the team enough to give them the keys to our home and stay at a hotel--since we only have one bathroom. Erik and his assistant were careful to clean up and lock up each day. At the completion of the job, there were a few minor things which needed fixing, and these were done in a timely fashion. The bathroom is beautiful, and we are very happy with the result. In short, this was a fairly stress free remodel. I plan to use them again, and would recommend them to my friends.

I had 4 items I needed to fix. The first was a replacement of a coupling part in the main line of my irrigation system that had inconceivably been vandalized with a saw. He could not locate the replacement part at Home Depot although he did bill me for his time shopping there, including time spent in traffic, which I thought was completely ludicrous. I eventually found the correct part and he installed it very efficiently. Score 1 point for this item. The second item I wanted fixed was my garage door opener. I can't actually recall what was wrong with it, but after spending more than an hour on it, he was able to make it open, but not close. So for more than the cost of replacing the whole unit, I still need to get out of my car each time to close the door!! I'm scoring 1/2 for this one. The third item was my bathroom sink. I wanted the valve stems replaced. He couldn't get it out on the hot side. While trying to replace the inlet pipe and shutoff valve, he caused the nipple to crack, and of course LEAK!! But he didn't realize that was what happened. He thought it was leaking inside my exterior wall. He left with it still leaking into a bucket!! His boss Arnold came to check out the situation.He want to re-pipe the fixture, by cutting through my exterior wall. He was pretty dodgy about how much all this fun would cost, finally he conceded "less than $10,000". Um, before Rico touched it, it used to work with a minor drip from the faucet. So now he broke it and they want me to pay "less than $10,000" to repair what he damaged. Are you kidding me? I've been to Switzerland numerous times, no one there would do this or accept this. I can't even recall what the fourth item was anymore, but he never addressed it. Long story short, an actual plumber came out, replaced the cracked nipple and changed the kitchen faucet fixture for $200. Save your money and call someone more reliable. I think the most shocking thing of all is that I live in a 90 year old house that could really use a good handyman for numerous projects. Why would they treat me this way?? One year later and I'm still shocked.

I can't really provide an accurate review of services because after the initial visit I never received a proposal or estimate. I might have hired this handyman to do the work discussed, but I never heard from him again after the initial visit.

I needed to find someone to handle a wide range of household repairs for my 90 year old parents. Swiss Handyman has been wonderful! They have done many repairs for them and always take the time to clearly explain what they will do, arrive on time, do extremely high quality work, thoroughly clean up when they are done and do all this with a smile and LOTS of patience. I live 2500 miles away and it is such a huge relief to know that if there are any issues at my parents home, I can just email and know that all will be handled quickly, completely and efficiently. I cannot recommend them highly enough!

Everything was great. The work was good and the handyman, Rico I believe was really helpful and made sure everything was how I wanted.

They did a good job. I liked them very much. They were responsible, prompt, professional, and trustworthy.

They have an hourly rate plus materials. I liked very much how he discussed everything before that he did it and advised what would be the pros and cons of the approaches. He said if you did it this way it would be a little cheaper but it would last longer if you did it another way. He also advised me against doing something I wanted to do because it looked like more work was needed to be done. If I did it then it would have to be taken out and redone again later. I thought their price was fair but you could get a lot cheaper.

Just last week Swiss Handyman completed an ?apartment conversion? that needed to happen in less than a month (from design to completion). His team did everything from the plumbing and flooring (cement tiles), to the installation of soundproof walls, and the painting. Even though the entire project was done to perfection, it was the painting that inspired me to write this review. I was overjoyed to see that the painters (without my request) went ahead and matched the texture of my Spanish Mediterranean style walls of my home by making similar groove like cuts and patterns into the new walls. I did not request this because I did not even know this technique was possible? basically his crew went above and beyond my expectations. So this is why I trust Arnold/Swiss Handyman with the continuous present and future improvement and maintenance of my precious home/property in Pasadena. Yes it is true, that Swiss Handyman costs a bit more than a garden variety ?handyman? (you know?. one of those unlicensed characters who show up to do the job with ?sub-contractors? probably from the random hardware store parking lot). However, he is worth every penny if you want quality work.

Very well. Everything was done on time and in perfect condition of being repaired, installed, etc. I def recommend Swiss Handyman. Reasonable prices. Very efficient. Its why I continue to use them.

Very responsive ... my bathroom looks wonderful

Swiss Handyman did a great job. Hired them to install a new vanity in the bathroom, and ended up using them for about ten different projects, including replacing an exterior door. Looks as good as new and works better than ever.

The work for all three jobs was done by Rico Dossenbach. He always arrived on time, worked very efficiently and did an excellent job.

Arnold, the owner, came promptly to assess the situation and give me an estimate for the work. He also gave me a list of materials needed, explaining that they can get the materials, but I would be charged for the time it would take to get the materials and the materials at cost, or I could get the materials myself to save some money. They were able to schedule someone to come quickly the next morning. PIcking up the materials took me more time than I expected, so I was a little late for the appointment but Rico was able to get in to the house and get started. The only issue, if one could call it that, was that drywall shims weren't on the list of materials I was given, so Rico had to take the time to go to their storage unit and pick that up, which added a half an hour's time to the estimate though I wasn't charged for the shims. Even with the shims, it was a tricky patch job because it was patching drywall next to lath and plaster, so I did have to float quite a bit of compound to fill the gap, but I don't think there was any other way to do it given the condition of the ceiling. I have requested that Rico come back again to work on a gas line fix. The hourly rate is a little higher than with others I've worked with, so I prefer to go with Swiss Handyman for quicker jobs that I need done, but the work is of high quality and Arnold is a great resource. It's well worth the cost, but sometimes the budget doesn't always allow for me to hire them as frequently as I would like. Overall, I really appreciate Arnold's availability to talk on the phone and discuss problems/solutions to the problems that I encounter around the house. I find him to be a resource to talk through any situation that arises and try to figure out the easiest and best solution to a problem. Particularly, I appreciate that he is trying to save me money by knowing what I am willing and able to do myself. I find him to be very respectful of budget considerations and that as a homeowner I am willing to do certain things myself. I have found that with other contractors, they can sometimes be disdainful of the DIY attitude.

really well. when arnold came to see the garage the first day we met, he stayed to discuss our needs and vision for around 2 hours. he made great suggestions, many of which we hadn't thought of but which we ended up incorporating into our design plan. the only minor issue i had was that toward the end of the project, they started getting busier and progress slowed a little. that said, we are extremely happy with the finished product and the service. great work, fair price, good responsiveness and communication. we highly recommend this contractor.

Efficient, neat, clean work. Good service.

After water-damage from within one of the walls, we needed extensive repair/remodeling of two rooms. I called the Swisshandyman twice, left 2 messages, but nobody ever called back. Interesting business model. We are still in the process of getting estimates from other contractors.

I contacted the Swiss Handyman approximately one week prior to a scheduled meeting to review the scope of the work to be done in my home. Our appointment was originally set for 8 a.m. The day before our appointment I received a call requesting a later time. We agreed upon 9 a.m. The following day Arnold arrived at 10:15 a.m., but only after I called to inquire if he was actually coming. We discussed the scope of the work and Arnold measured and inquired about my budget for the project. I shared with him that I had no expectations for cost and that I would review his bid once I received it and compare it to one or two other bids that I planned to get. That was over two weeks ago. I have not received any further contact from the Swiss Handyman. He measured for the work and promised a proposal quote. I have not received one.

Arnold arrived on time, but a day early. This could have been a simple communication problem between me and his office staff. We walked though the project (just a list of small repairs, screen door installation, etc.) and Arnold was very friendly and knowledgeable. Gave me some good advice on how to deal with certain repairs in the future. He's a real professional. I ended up going with another company but will certainly keep Swiss Handyman in mind for future projects.

The tub fixtures were a very tricky task, but he was creative and found a way to make it work and it looks fantastic!!!

Had a door going from bedroom to garage I needed to remove and fill in. Sent pictures via web, but estimate was too high for this little job. I think they may be more interested in complete remodels. Got it done for a third the cost by somebody else.