Rick Kline

See above. Money refunded. All in all Angie's list members should avoid special deals.

Mr. Kline has a short fuse. Measured out wood and materials for a wooden bulk head. He wanted my credit card to take to the lumber yard to make my purchase of materials- was visibly unhappy when I told him to have the lumber company call me from their land line and then I'd pay for the materials. Same thing happen with his purchases from big box store. Came by one day to work- and had decided the weather wasn't to his liking and wanted to take care of a smaller job in the garage- putting up two raw shelves. When I questioned why the bulk head wasn't on his schedule, He told me "looks like rain". I offered him the garage and or the basement to work from- he started to fight with me and exchange nasty insights into what he thought was really going on. It was a frightening and an awful experience. I fired him on the spot, which he also had difficulty with. He was paid additional money for his time above and beyond his "deal price". He's no deal. I went on to hire a wonderful team of A list handymen off Angies List who had me buy more lumber and return 90% of the other materials Mr. Kline purchased as they were unnecessary. I am sure Mr. Kline will have something interesting to post about this review- he seems, to always need the last word, even when he's dead wrong. For the record there was no rain that day or in the week that followed.

Day one, Dick and Patrick showed on time and cleared garage contents into a POD or out to the curb for 1-800-Got-Junk collection, as requested. Got paid half of the $425 coupon price. Negatives: Dick spent half the time talking about/arranging other jobs on his cellfone. It's understandable that no one wants to turn down job offers (or Angie's list coupons), and has to juggle, but it's less-than-professional when it's done on your own time. And supposedly his wife is at home being partner in the business, so it would be preferable if she'd take those calls while he's out actually working. I also didn't like him telling me I was "bossy" when I indicated what items went in the pod, what went to the curb, what went "over there" for donation, etc. I didn't expect them to be mind readers about where MY stuff was supposed to go. No clue what my tone of voice was that elicited that comment, but if I'm paying you to "help" me, understand these kinds of jobs are stressful for the home-owner. It's not your place to judge or school me: just do what was contracted for, take the money and run. Day two, we had arranged for him and Patrick to meet us AT Pier One in Porter Square **AT 12:30-12:45 pm** to break down and put in moving van many units of large shelving we'd bought. But Dick called at noon to say he was there waiting for us. (And that Patrick had a family emergency so couldn't make it, but his wife could and he assured me she could haul heavy things just like Patrick, so no worries.) Already stressed, I complained in a very annoyed tone of voice, I'm sure, that this was the THIRD TIME IN JUST TWO DAYS that he'd changed arrival times on us, and that I wasn't going to pay him for extra time to just sit around waiting for us. He claimed he had arrived early "to be more helpful to you." (Yet when we arrived later at Pier One, the manager felt the need to comment that our contractors had come totally unprepared, without tools (screw drivers) to take down the shelving we'd bought/needed to remove, and just stood around looking.) I apologized for being upset, said I was stressed with all the arrangements and time constraints, and said we'd get there as soon as traffic would allow. Ten minutes later Dick called us to say he was insulted I'd yelled at him and so he was leaving. My bet: He called another client he'd put off until later in the day and told them he could arrive earlier. Probably a job netting him more than just a few hours that day with us would pay. We hastily called HOME HELPERS INC in Arlington, and they sent two very lovely gentlemen within a half hour who did a great job. We will definitely use them again! Perhaps my bad, but I could not resist calling Dick back after the move. Me: "Though you left us in the lurch when you quit, I'm sure you'll be relieved to know we were able to find local guys within 15 minutes, and they were awesome!" Dick's response?: "Kiss my a**, screw you." What a consummate professional. Not. Clearly Dick is taking on more than he can professionally handle. I know people get angry when a contractor says "No" to a job, but it's better than this scenario. If there's any retaliation to my property because of this review, the police will know who to ascribe responsibility to.

Excellent, start to finish. He was even very nice to my two inquisitive dogs!

Was not able to connectg with Rich. Had a family crisis at the time.

Everything went very well. The first appointment was cancelled because Rick was sick. We rescheduled, and then the hurricane hit, which required a change of time/date. Throughout, though, Rick was in touch to reschedule. Rick and one of his workers moved through the tasks quickly. The door, which I had misdiagnosed as needing some planing on the bottom (or sanding of the threshold) actually needed its upper hinge screws changed to larger ones to hold the hinge firmly in place. The new window closure hardware was placed well and works just fine. The grouting of the marble steps took much longer than I had anticipated, given that workmen did it in about 3 hours about 7 years ago (just filled the side spaces, not tread/riser junction, etc.). The grout had begun to come out in many places, though, which is why we asked Rick to repair/redo it. Rick spent most of his 2 hours on the Angie's Big deal working on the grouting, but was able only to "dig out" the bad spots and identify those needing less repair, and then actually grouted only the first 3 steps (they had very wide spaces to fill). He first mixed up the grout I had purchased, but realized as he started that I'd gotten the wrong color of white that would be the best match for our steps. He had some of the right color in his truck, so used that to do the first few steps on the Th they were first here. Rick assigned his assistant to come back on Saturday to finish the job, and he picked up more of the right color of grout on his way here. It took him about 6 hours to finish up. Doing this job right (filling the spaces between tread and riser, not just on each side, etc.), with the right material (this grout seems much better quality than what was used the last time), and cleaning up carefully, as you go, is time-consuming. The steps look absolutely TERRIFIC, and I think they will last for many years, given that the correct grout was used this time, and the grouting was done so carefully and expertly. It was well worth the $270 charge beyond use of some of the Angie's coupon time applied to it. If you want things done well, Rick is your guy! Both he and his assistant, Andrew, were very pleasant and professional, as well.

This was a straight-forward replacement of some rotten wood trim on the exterior of our home and addressing a crack in the wood trim around a window. Rick was great from the beginning - very honest about what needed to be replaced and what could be repaired instead. We scheduled the work for what turned out to be the week following hurricane/super-storm Sandy which inevitably backed up the entire industry of people who work on the exterior of buildings. This meant that Rick couldn't personally do the work but the work was nevertheless done well, done quickly, and within budget. When I asked for a correction to be made, Rick sent someone back on a weekend to take care of it. He was professional, courteous, and provided great work.

Rick is a contractor and his primary focus was on having me purchase contracting services. He began by having me list the things I wanted him to do. I mentioned "gunk" in the basement and he pounced on that as the most important issue. He then explained that if he worked on that, he probably couldn't get to the other tasks or would have to charge me $70 per hour. I chose to have him to the handyman jobs, rather than deal with the "gunk." Rick also explained that his assistant was a licensed plumber. At the end, his assistant, took a look in the basement and told me that it was caused by putting grease down the sink, that the gunk was a result of the grease and that there were flies inside the pipe. He told me that he would charge $350 to exterminate the insects and put a snake down the pipe. I deferred and called my plumber. My plumber told me that the pipe was not connected to any sink. Rather, it was a pipe that used to be connected to the sump pump and was no longer used. He recommended that I clean up the gunk, put Lysol around the area and leave it. His charge - $0. In terms of his actual handyman work, Rick was fine. I'm just concerned about his honesty and the possibility of his taking some other unsuspecting soul for a real ride.

Rick and his assistant came on time, as arranged. They worked with materials made available to them(e.g. plywood) and obtained other materials. They did exactly what I wanted them to do, they were neat and cleaned up afterwards, and they were clear in explaining what was needed to complete the work. I hired Rick through an Angie's List offer, then paid some additional for time added to the offer. They came several months ago, so I am a little fuzzy on the details of cost, etc., but I do recall that the overall experience was very positive.

This was a "patch job" from a badly constructed lattice "fence" put in by an amateur, that had broken in the wind and was both an eyesore and a hazard. I got a few hours of handy man labor as a "Big Deal" and it was a "good deal". Rick and his helper showed up promptly, evaluated the situation (inadequate supports, broken uprights, too much weight on the lattice from the weight of the climbing ornamental vines). He suggested several fixes that would cost in a range from very little money (Option A: remove old lattice completely; or Option B: remove and re-attach only the lower part to the existing chainlink fence) vs expensive (Option C: dig new posts, install correct fencing). I had to go for the less expensive option so I chose B. They did the work neatly and well. Unfortunately the climbing vines meant to adorn the fence did not like the operation and they all died. I do not think this was Rick's fault, as he did what I asked him to do, and his helper and I both cut off their overgrown tops - they just didn't like the heavy pruning they had to get and they were more fragile than I thought they'd be. With any luck we will get new vines to grow next year. In the meantime, the re-attached lattice has held up well through the end of summer and early fall. So far, so good. What I really like about Rick is: timeliness; communication; he is straightforward and tells you his best evaluation of your options; and he is hardworking and seems very honest. I would try him for other more complicated house repairs in the future. He says he does a full range of building/contracting type services as well as handyman work so that is good to know.

He was very prompt and did great work.

It was great. The guys got a lot done-- much more than I would have expected in the allotted time. They were very forthright about what could and couldn't be accomplished, any extra materials costs, and the like. Very professional.

He called three times from different wood suply stores. Even tho he had come to look at the deck and knew what it was made of, he called to check on the wood and basically told me that he couldn't get that wood, and so, returned with a very expensive brand that was completely unnecessary. He didn't make all the repairs necessary and left the job half done. He was rather manic in conversation and told me quite inappropriately that he was dying to sell the business and would only do what he was doing so he could sell it. All in all, it was a horrible experience and shame on Angie's list for making him a coupon special. Angie's used to provide good, unbiased information. Now I think that with your advertising and coupons, you're asking for trouble, since you're essentially promoting people, albeit undercover.

Excellent. He was on time, personable, profession, and did an excellent job!

We could not have asked for a more efficient, more graciously performed, more professional approach to our "to-do" list. We were first drawn to Rick Kline's services by his "Angie's Coupon" ($99 for 4 hours of work). Perhaps two months ago we arranged (effortlessly, by e-mail) for an early August date (our preferred calendar period). But Rick came already in June, with a partner, to our house and spent about an hour doing an "advance survey" of our needs (at no extra cost to us: a service he provides "only to Angie's List customers"). When the agreed August date drew near, and Rick let us know that other customers' emergency needs would force a change from one early August date to another, we were impressed by the prompt and professional manner of our re-scheduling; by the timely advance-word (by phone) of his and his partner's arrival; and by the utterly businesslike approach he and his partner took to our needs. If you happen to be impressed, that all 8 items in our "to-do" list were accomplished in just 6 person-hours total time -- then so were we! Rick had explained well in advance, with precision, just how we would be charged for any "extra tasks" that might require additional hours beyond our 4 "Angie's Coupon" hours. When the date came (Aug. 13, just days ago), and Rick moved most-of-the-way down our list with impressive speed, we did ask him to stay a bit more to move right through the final items -- and he then charged exactly the extra sum he had described ($85 per hour for TWO persons' labor: that is, $42.50 per person-hour). He and his partner were just what we had hoped to find: reliable "handyman" (but we suspect, "contractor-level" handyman!) service -- and pleasant and engaging people to boot. We have every intention of asking him back, in the not too distant future, to turn to other, even a bit more ambitious tasks. We're happy to offer Rick Kline the warmest possible endorsement!

He was fabulous and I liked him a lot. He was very accommodating, professional and very nice. He had a lot of good ideas of what I should do. When he came he executed them really well. There was on time when we were trying to coordinate something and he came earlier for us. There was another time when I missed our appointment and he was really nice about rescheduling. It was overall a very positive experience.

If you are looking for a Colin Farrell doppleganger who can fix AND build stuff for you, well, Rick Kilne's your man! I had a great experience with him and his co-worker. They arrived right on time, and did all the work we had discussed a few weeks before when Rick came out to estimate my list of to-dos. I had gotten a deal on Angie's list - 4 hours of handyman services for $125! I had called around and had people in Newton quote me $140/an hour, and I just needed a few things done and didn't want to spend a fortune. They hung photos on cement walls, put up curtain rods, out in a screen door on my porch. It was all within the timeframe that I had paid for, and they were super nice and everything looks great.

I received several emails back and forth but quickly moved to a date for the work. Rick got here early. We walked through the house . I pointed out the jobs. We went to Home Depot and he quickly located the materials needed. I hate going to Home Depot. I can never find what I am looking for, so I was happy not to have to find these items myself. I purchased a bathroom exhaust fan replacement that did not fit. (I have ordered a replacement online and will install myself) Rick moved quickly and efficiently through the tasks explaining what he was doing and why if necessary. He noticed there was a half hour left and that is when I added the hanging of the sconce to the list.

I had purchased a coupon on Angie’s List for 4 hours service at $99. When I called Rick Kline to set-up an appointment, I explained that I wanted to have a ceiling fan and a shelf installed. As he requested, I also sent an email as a reminder and I explained the work to be done in more detail. When I did not hear back within a few days as he had promised I called again and was asked again to send an email as a follow-up - I called four times and sent three emails. When I saw that RK had posted coupons for a higher price also on Angie’s List, I realized that he would not honor the coupon I had purchased and asked Angie’s List for a reimbursement. Of course, I cannot recommend this service provider based on duplicitous business practices.

I purchased the Angie's List deal for 4 hours of service on 4/27/2012. I emailed Rick immediately. No response. I called him on 5/3 and spoke with him. He said he was too busy to even schedule the service, but I should take pictures of the work and email them to him. I did this. On 5/9 I called him again, he said he was still too busy to schedule anything and I should email him again. I emailed him again on 5/9. No response, so I called back on 5/10. I emailed again on 5/10 to remind him. No response so I decided to wait a while to give him time. No response. I emailed again on 6/1. No response. I gave him more time to respond and waited three weeks. Then I called twice and left voicemails. No response. I emailed on 6/25 and said if I did not get a response I would need to get a refund from Angie's List. Finally he calls and says he has never heard of me and finds me annoying and says "I have no time for you, get a refund from Angie's List." So service was never performed, and I find him to be unresponsive, undependable, and would not recommend him to anyone for anything at all.

I contacted Rick and his assistant via the Angies List Big Deal. We had a growing list of annoying problems in the house that we didn't know how to fix, so we were very happy when we saw this offer. He had excellent ratings in Angies List, and with the deal (2 hours of work for two men for $99) the price seemed very reasonable. Apparently he had received many calls and requests for work after listing the Big Deal, so scheduling the work was difficult. He was very booked up and wasn't sure exactly how long some of the jobs would take. He finally came to do the work approximately 7 weeks after I initially placed the call. Rick was cordiial and professional throughout my dealings with him. I think that Rick and his assistant did the best job they could with the tasks, considering the circumstances. The previous owners had some shoddy electrical work done, so installation of the ceiling fan and lights took quite a bit longer than expected. I ran to the local hardware store several times to pick up supplies that were needed as the work progressed (Rick would have done this but I was wanting to save $ on labor). We had hoped they would be able to fix a broken latch on the screen door, but I was unable to find the necessary parts anywhere (it turned out that (the door is approximately 30 years old...). We're thrilled to have our garbage disposal and shower in good working condition again. I was disappointed that the work ended up costing us more than we had hoped, but Rick and his assistant worked solidly for the hours that they were here, and clearly faced a number of complications along the way. I guess that's partly the nature of the job (in this case, fixing things in the house that were broken, some of which probably should have been replaced rather than repaired..., and having to clean up electrical and plumbing messes left by the previous owners). All in all I was pleased with the work that they did, and would definitely hire them again in the future.

I responded to a coupon offer and was glad to find Rick Kline. He did all the work in a timely manner. I found them to be skilled, professional, creative, personable, and fairly priced. I will certainly be working with them in the future. They were great!

i think he's bipolar - lovely conversations for months about paint analysis i would like to have done, dyslexic plumbers, his dogs, wife, life...then wammo - totally cut me off and put his wife on. whatever...i'll find another person.

Rick and his assistant arrived on time and were very nice to work with. I especially appreciated Rick's advice that I postpone fixing the cabinet floor - he thought it would be a waste of my money at this point, and on reflection, I agreed with him. In addition, Rick taught me how to fix the holes in my walls, and left me some materials in case I needed to do so in the future. From my perspective, these things showed consideration and a desire to provide real value.

After some minor hiccups, on/off again rain Rick and Dominic arrived in the afternoon was able to perform the job before it rained again. .