UpKeepers Inc

Upkeepers installed our water heater on September 11, 2017. On October 24, 2022 we had our 75 gal Bradford White water heater repaired by a Precision Plumbing whose name we found on the manufacturer website as an authorized service provider. They replaced the gas valve assembly that was not operating. The water heater was still under factory warranty, however during the process of further checking the water heater, Precision noted that the existing expansion tank installed by Upkeepers should only be used for a maximum 40 or 50 gallon water heater not 75 gal. Precision also found the existing expansion tank was filled with water that could have contributed to the water heater needing repair. A larger expansion tank was required based Bradford White specifications for a 75 gallon water heater. This part was not covered by the warranty because it should have never been installed. On October 24, 2022 I contacted Tom Molidor via email (email trail attached) and attached copies of the repair ticket and video. I requested that Upkeepers refund me $232.46 for installation of the correct size expansion tank. I sent him a second email on November 17, 2017, and he then replied saying I should have contacted Upkeepers. I told him that Upkeepers was not listed as an authorized service provider on the Bradford White website. The total repair cost including the expansion tank was $654.01, but the gas valve assembly cost of $421.55 was under warranty so the difference of. $232.46 is for installation of the new expansion tank and that is the amount I requested from Upkeepers. They have refused to issue the refund, but offered to give a credit on future work. That is not an option considering I don't trust their work and would never hire them again.

I had a very positive experience with Upkeepers. Tom Molidor responded to our request for installation of attic stairs immediately. At my request, the installation was completed quickly. Tom quoted us a fair price for his services and we were happy to pay it. I would highly recommend Upkeepers to family, friends and neighbors.

Very well. The plumber noticed something else that needed correcting. He asked if I wanted it fixed. I agreed.

I have worked with UpKeepers on multiple occasions and each time have been please with the their level of professionalism and quality of work. Tom was always quick to respond to my questions and flexible/accommodating to my changing schedule. They made it a seamless and easy process. I highly recommend UpKeepers for all of your handyman service needs.

Upkeeper’s FAILS to Honor 1 Year Parts & Labor Warranty We contracted with Tom Molidor’s Upkeeper’s in April 2017 for bath remodels which included replacing toilets. In July the toilets were installed by an Upkeeper’s employee, a non-licensed plumber. A YouTube video highlights that proper toilet installation requires some basic skills, but key to proper installation is to avoid overtightening the closet bolts which can crack the toilet base or break the closet flange. One of the installed toilets rocked which required several visits to fix. Their final fix was to caulk around the entire base of the toilet. While this corrected the wobble of the toilet, the cause of the wobble was only masked as the toilet was not properly secured and subsequently developed a leak. My requests to Upkeeper’s to address this matter went unanswered forcing me to hire a licensed plumber. The problem I came to learn, was caused by poor workmanship during installation. Below is a copy of Upkeeper’s worthless claim to warrant their work: 2. SERVICE GUARANTEE. UPKEEPERS TAKES GREAT PRIDE IN ITS CUSTOMER SERVICE AND GUARANTEES THAT ALL SERVICES RENDERED SHALL BE PERFORMED IN A GOOD AND WORKMANLIKE MANNER. IN THE EVENT OF ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS IN REGARD TO SERVICES RENDERED, CUSTOMER’S ARE ENCOURAGED TO CONTACT THE UPKEEPERS OFFICE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. 1 YEAR WARRANTY ON PARTS AND LABOR (MANUFACTURERS WARRANTY ON PARTS SUPERCEDES UPKEEPERS WARRANTY). Immediately upon inspecting the toilet the plumber noticed one of the closet bolts designed to secure the toilet was not tightened. As he proceeded to remove the toilet, he found the toilet flange had been cracked. He commented that the installer(s) apparently had full knowledge they had broken the toilet flange as they attempted to secure the position of the bolt & broken piece of toilet flange with caulk. I will spare readers what the plumber had to say about such unprofessional & shoddy workmanship! Instead of completing a proper fix, Upkeeper’s chose not to repair the damage they caused but to hide the real cause of a wobbly toilet. Due to the incompetent workmanship by Upkeeper’s, my plumber had to replace the toilet flange before re-installing the toilet. This work cost me $150.00, a repair that should have been covered by Upkeeper’s ONE YEAR warranty. I ask you Mr. Molidor, is this the “Great Pride” you exhibit to ALL customers? Will you respond like an ethical businessman by ‘honoring your warranty’ and reimburse me for these repairs?

Plumber did a good job removing the old water heater from the basement and installing the new one. The whole job went very quickly with no issues. Plumbing two man crew was very careful not to bump into walls when removing old unit and installing new one. What took the longest was draining the old water heater. I volunteered to start draining the old water heater, but could have used better instructions that would have saved even more time. Still, a job well done. My only reason for the "B" rating was the price especially considering it didnit take very long to complete.

I have used Upkeepers twice in the past two years with great results. The first job was to put up vent covers to keep some birds out of the exhaust vents, the second was to replace a number of rotten exterior boards around our windows and paint the exterior trim and porch. In both cases, I received a response from Tom the same day that I submitted my request, and an acceptable estimate shortly after sharing the details of the work desired. Vic did most of the work, he is a very friendly fellow and you can tell he enjoys his job, he made sure to introduce himself and then explained what he was going to do, the materials he was going to use, and how long he expected the job to take. I would happily recommend them for any work of this kind.

I met Tom Molidor when taking his class at Lyons Adult Education entitled ‘How To Design and Build Your New Home or Remodeling Project’. I found his message informative and was receptive to his repeated statement in class that he believes in partnering with the client. Additionally, he states on his website that “we always offer the most comprehensive estimates on your home remodeling projects…”. Based upon this information, I ‘believed’ he would be trustworthy and ran an ethical business. Mr. Molidor operates a Custom Home Building company along with Upkeepers Inc, a handyman/remodeling business. Several weeks after the class, we contacted Mr. Molidor to discuss bathroom makeovers/remodels at our home. During his visit he shared ideas and asked to have his ‘contractor’, Kevin, visit to assess the work involved. We met Kevin (an employee of Upkeepers) and the scope of work he suggested was substantially more than proposed by Mr. Molidor. The quote exceeded our budget and we asked about options to reduce costs. Originally we planned to have 2 bathtubs replaced with 2 showers using tiled walls, floors and shower seats. Mr. Molidor suggested using prefabricated shower bases and eliminating the shower seats. Mr. Molidor texted a picture of what he claimed was his shower with fiberglass base. I will note at this time his picture had a glass shower door so he is aware that shower doors are necessary for this style of showers. Unfortunately, while his revised quote to use prefab bases allowed us to remain in budget, Mr Molidor did not include glass shower doors and woefully under applied allowances for mirrors. Not a problem one may think, you just pay for these extras. As we came to learn, by not providing any allowances for glass shower doors or reasonable allowances for mirrors, Mr. Molidor, by contract, gets to ADD an 18% upcharge for exceeding allowances. Such actions by someone who professes his wealth of experience as a contractor and the notion of partnering with the client on their project can best be defined as unscrupulous or underhanded. Day 1 (5/22/17) began with placing plastic on the immediate carpeted area & stairs adjacent to the bathrooms and covering some floor tile with kraft paper. We were disappointed they did not attempt to cover any furniture or seal doorways adjacent to the work areas to contain dust. Demolition began on Day 2 and they had a crew of 4 to gut the baths. Disappointments quickly mounted after demo day as none of the crew ever worked 8 hours in any day or 5 days a week on our project. Mr. Molidor’s reply was answered with the excuse that it is hard to find good help. Attempting to communicate with Kevin quickly raised red flags. Early in the remodel, my wife asked a question regarding the floor tile layout to which he ‘rolled his eyes’ and made a rude comment in reply. Often, we heard Kevin cursing about something, profanity we did not appreciate hearing. Surely, someone with small children would not want having such person in their home. Another time, after clarifying shower wall tile layout design, I asked if they were going to tape and seal all Durarock joints & corners before applying tile as stated in the contract. Kevin replied ‘they just apply the tile mortar and that seals the joints.’ I know this was their practice as I observed the floor tile being installed in this manner. As I did not believe this was correct, I researched proper Durarock installation. To “properly” achieve a waterproof barrier with Durarock, “ALL joints should receive a layer of mortar, followed by a fiberglass tape embedded in the mortar and then top coated to create a smooth surface to accept tile”. Begrudgingly, Kevin stated he would go buy the tape, but this would delay tile installation by a day. This was my first observation of Kevin cutting corners and began to question his integrity. I received a ‘add work order’ from Mr. Molidor to replace 2 small sections of damaged drywall in 2 bathrooms. When questioned, Mr. Molidor stated repairs were needed for the 1st floor ½ bath and the upstairs bath. However, when I asked Kevin, he replied the 1st floor ½ bath and 1st floor full bathroom. I asked him to show me the damage he claimed was needed. As I was aware of the ½ bath damage we looked at the 1st floor bathroom, and guess what, there was NO DAMAGE that needed repair. From this moment forward, my trust in Mr. Molidor, Upkeepers and Kevin plummeted. Around June 12, I received a text from Mr. Molidor requesting a progress payment. Sadly the showers were still not tiled, yet he stated the remodels were 75% complete. I replied it was only fair that when the shower tile work was completed, I would provide a payment. On June 13th, a check was given to Mr. Molidor and while tile installation was completed, the showers were not grouted. Upkeepers disappeared again. Despite my calls to Mr. Molidor, who controls the scheduling of work, this project continued to drag on. On June 30th, 2017 the crew made a ‘big push’ to finish the project. By their day end, while they removed the kraft paper & plastic carpet protector, the project could not be completed as they lost the shower handles & trim plates. While the bathrooms were partially usable, we quickly identified a growing list of items needing to be properly fixed. We had wobbly toilets, a leaking toilet, a leaking sink, improperly installed faucet trim, poor drywall repairs, areas not painted, paint on the trim, and cracking grout. I could continue to cite examples of questionable workmanship and ethical behavior. Based upon our experiences, we would NOT RECOMMEND contracting with Mr. Molidor or Upkeepers Inc. Should you decide to move forward with them, I strongly suggest the following: o Do not allow Kevin M. to be the contractor. o Insist upon a designated and reasonable completion date with a $200.00 dollar per day penalty for each day the project delayed. o Clearly spell out IN DETAIL what work will be completed before any ‘progress’ payments are made. o Carefully inspect and re-inspect the finished product! o Photograph/video areas adjacent to works areas prior to the start of work as they will deny causing any damage. o Insist the contract spell out where licensed trades, ie: electricians, plumbers etc will be employed versus his self-proclaimed handymen. August 2, 2017, anxious for final payment, the crew finally returned to make their 3rd attempt to re-finish & repaint the drywall installed in the remodeling project along with other items. Sad to say, Kevin does not appear to inspect the work done. Had we not carefully monitored the work and inspected the finished product, many of these items would have gone undetected. Other contractors I have used over the years, inspected and took pride in their work, unlike our experiences with Mr. Molidor’s Upkeepers Inc. Sincerely, Disappointed

Great job...can't tell we had damage.

They honor the price after I talked to them. Not try to cheap me on the price, they added in stuff that they should not have add in and I caught it.

Additional Work: 7/16/2015..$600..repaired master bedroom floor and bed hardwood frame 9/22/2015..$489..replaced wood trim and weather strip at garage door First class work and professionalism on all projects regardless of size.

Very nice results. Very professional. Would definitely recommend. Will be calling for future projects.

Very thorough and was able to reroute wiring to avoid digging under brick patio. I have used this handyman service for years for varied projects and have always been happy with the responsiveness and service.

All of our projects have been completed on time and to our utter satisfaction. The workers were totally professional and everything looks great!

Our old and cramped kitchen has been pulled out of the 1950's and is now the stunning, transitional showpiece of our house. Our kitchen was expanded (pushed out the back wall), requiring some major structural renovations to the house. The result of the expanded space is spectacular. Custom cabinetry, granite surfaces, stainless steel appliances, and hardwood floors were all designed and installed in a way to make the new space seamless with the old. I was impressed with the plumbing and electrical trades during the framing and fixture layout--they took great care to ensure that both the lighting and plumbing rough in locations were coordinated and lined up with the final cabinet layout / island location. When the final cabinets were installed, everything was right where it was supposed to be and looked perfectly aligned. In addition to the kitchen, we knocked down a single car garage and constructed a two-car attached garage in it's place with approximately 600 finished square feet above it. This space includes a new bedroom, bathroom, and office with custom cabinetry (desks, file cabinets, and book cases built into the slope of the roof). The new bathroom included a tile wainscot around the entire room, and we were especially impressed with the attention to detail by the tile installer. He took great care during the layout process to ensure that tile seams and layout took into account / lined up with shelves, vanity counter heights, and wall outlets. I should also note that the framer matched the height of the new second floor to the existing second floor exactly, so the inside hardwood are seamless, flowing from the old space into the new. The kitchen, office, bathroom, and mudroom all feature custom built-in cabinetry which elevate the spaces in both functionality and aesthetics. We were impressed with the knowledge of the cabinet supplier, and their ability to translate our "function" wish list into a beautiful and efficient design that maximized the spaces. The exterior of the house also underwent a transformation with the new addition, but (as with the interior space), the new transitions perfectly to the old, and looks like it has always been there as part of the original house. Overall, my family could not be happier with our new house. Working with Upkeepers was straightforward, pleasant, and well-documented (i.e. no major surprises or unexpected expenses). We were kept well informed throughout the project. Finally, I will note that we competitively bid this project to four contractors, and Upkeepers price was the most competitive. I would recommend Upkeepers for any kitchen/bathroom/addition work.

On time. Organized. Helpful with design. Professional workmanship. Clean.

Their office staff is terrible. The actual work was wonderful. But trying to get the work scheduled and the payments handled was hard. Their price was fair. They weren't the cheapest, but they also had the best presentation, including details about what parts they would use and they let us work with them to pick out all of the supplies.

They came out soon after I purchased the deal. He did a good job.

Tom Molitor (the owner) provided me with an estimate and said I would need to submit a deposit in order to set an appointment date to perform the work. I did send in the deposit but he has not contacted us. We have reached out to Tom several times to get our deposit back but he is unresponsive.

They were prompt, on time, Very polite and thorough.

Courteous and good work. Had a very positive experience.

There were a couple of things that they should have come back to complete. He told me that he didn't have the equipment and he said he would come back on Saturday, but he never did. They also did give me a partial refund on a job that wasn't as complicated that they thought it was going to be. They are busy, so it took them awhile to get to me in the first place. The handyman also did not return my calls when I called the company to make them aware of my concerns. They quoted me a price for all of the jobs all together. I think this company should call the consumer to see if they were satisfied with the job, instead of taking the word of the employer. I did had to pay partial upfront.

They were on time and cleaned up everything.

They are an all around company that can fix anything. They will do things that others will not.

Excellent work and knowledgable. The gentleman who helped us had lots of other ideas for how we can improve our home.