Charlie's Angles

10 years later I am replacing and fixing all of the work performed

On our kitchen, he and his guys did a complete demo, brought in a sub to do blown in insulation, they installed the drywall and cabinets, tiled the walls and backsplash. For the deck they demoed an existing concrete stoop and built a cedar deck using drawings that had been done by our architect. I appreciated that when they had an issue with the design, they brought it to our attention and then we could decide how to proceed, vs. just doing it as drawn whether it made sense or not. Charlie's crew is extremely hard working and detail oriented. I'm surprised that so many reviews have him for ice removal, as I think he does excellent building and remodeling.

The owner is very knowledgeable and professional. I felt very comfortable hiring him. But when it came time to get the work done, he doesn't have way to ensure quality. I have used him twice. The first time was for several window replacements. When a sheet-rocker came to complete our kitchen remodel he found that the window had not been insulated. He allowed me to call Charlie and get them back out to do that before access was blocked. Charlie did make the time to send someone over on short notice. The second time, Charlie came out to discuss the work that had been done in our basement because the contractor was questioning the plastic covering over the insulation and whether it was properly insulated. Outside, the siding had not been properly reattached after the windows were installed causing the siding to fall off. They did not nail the siding to the studs. Charlie is a very nice guy - I just think he doesn't have a great way to vet his staff for quality. With all of the trouble we've had with our house in general not being properly insulated and ice dams, we were a little more sensitive to the quality of workmanship. The people who referred us loved his work so it may just be the window installation that he has trouble getting quality help for. I know he does remodeling work and the people who referred us to him own rental property and used him all the time and were happy. We ONLY used him for windows.

They did a great job of quickly removing the ice. Dangerous work. However, they did work on the rubber flat roof section which we did not want them to do as we have never had problems with that part. So far, no leakage from that. Last winter ice wasn't bad so we didn't need to use them. Every season is different. I think this was the second time I've used them and am happy with them. I would like to look at a "preventative maintenance program" for ice dams though, rather than wait until they build up. Either way, it can be quite expensive.

I love working with these guys. They are very cost-conscious, they have a high degree of integrity, they really care about our project and my house, they clean up after themselves very well at day's end - minimizing the disruption of construction and they are responsive and nice. Have and would recommend them many times.

We live in an old historic home with lots of period details so needed someone with a real attention to detail and a high level of craftsmanship. Charlie and the crew did a really terrific job. They were always highly professional, willing to discuss the project at length at every phase, and whenever there was a problem, they never argued--just set the matter right without any discussion. The crew is extremely talented in all phases of construction: demo, insulation, drywall, setting cabinets, etc. I would not hesitate to hire them again.

Got a very quick estimate, professional provided written estimate that was competitive and reasonable. Workers showed up as scheduled, were polite, neat, and did the job. Roof looks great and all interactions with the owner/staff were pleasant. They delivered what they promised and cleaned up any debris.

Charlie sent his crew out and they got right to work. They completed the job and cleanup in less than 2 hours. They left the walkway in better condition than when they arrived. Courteous and professional. Definitely recommend them!

They came out within 24 hours to remove our ice dam when water was coming into the house. They were on time, professional and did a great job.

Charlie was great! They came out same day and was very friendly, courteous and professional. Great price too. Highly recommend!!!

Very prompt communication and reasonable estimate. Didn't end up needing their ice dam removal services due to the quick response of a good friend.

I needed to have an ice dam removed that was overhanging an addition, called at 11:00 am and spoke with Charlie (the owner). He told me he would be out in my area in the afternoon and told me his prices up front and quoted a $300 minimum . He and his crew arrived at 3:15 pm and introduced themselves, checked for anything special and went to work. They completed the job carefully and safely in less than 35 minutes and cleared the sidewalks of any over spill. . I was very pleased at the quick response and the relief of not having to worry about ice falling through the ceiling. I did receive a surprise discount .

They came out quicky and got the ice off of our roof. They did great work and we were happy with the service.

All went well, came out same day. They used shovels and axes, assuring me that they wouldn't damage shingles. Charlie is very nice to work with. Thanks guys

I contacted Charlies's Angels since it was fairly close to where I live. We had just had a large amount of snow and I could not manage a snow rake to attempt the job. They were very reponsive and came the following day. They did a great job, even removing snow/ice by our satellite dish. They were very industrious and considerate, cleaning the sidewalk and front step area where much of the snow had fallen. I considered their cost a bargain based on how much time they spent doing the work. I would definitely use their services again.

Our roof and exterior of our house was damaged in an August 6th hailstorm, so the repairs performed were almost all covered by insurance. We started talking with Charlie in late September and he was prompt in coming out to do the bid. He was really thorough in looking through our insurance paperwork as far as what was covered and what we actually wanted to get repaired at this time. The in person meeting was a great experience and instilled confidence. However, there were some delays in the work getting done. A dumpster was sent to our house Oct 17th but the roof wasn't done until Oct 31st. We didn't see a contract and firm cost estimates until late October just before the work was started. It would have been nice to go over that info sooner and make sure we were squared away with our insurance and personal budget. Overall, we're happy with the work that was done and Charlie seems very friendly and honest. We just would have appreciated more prompt and consistent communication throughout the process.

Charlie very promptly came out to give an estimate on the roof. The work was done well, and the crew cleaned up well. Overall we were very happy with the work he did. We also asked him for an estimate on window work which we never received. I called him once more for an estimate after our porch was damaged by a tree. He eventually sent that estimate, but we waited a few weeks.

They did a good job. They were fast and finished the job on time.

We had had huge amounts of snow that December and January that had no chance to melt. I was really getting concerned with a huge load of snow on my deck and roof. Even though they were very busy, they were able to take care of my snow within a day or two. They did a very good job of removing the snow.

.See above. A very positive experience in general.

called to ask him for an estimate on some roof repairs. he said he would go out to the property and look and get back to me. never heard from him again. FAIL

Charlie came by soon after we called and gave us quote and explained what he thought should be done . His quote included an option to add new underlayment decking if situation proved it needed it after seeing it once old shingles were removed. Color options were presented and Charlie helped identify where we could view specific colors we had in mind. His quote for work was competitive, plus he came highly recommended. New decking material was in fact needed to do a quality job and meet code. Extra material needed to be ordered and they were quick in getting it deliverd. Job was completed as expected and was satisfactory in all respects.

On Saturday, January 29th, 2011, I spoke with Charles Browning of Charlie’s Angles about an ice dam issue that my mother was having. It was a severe case, as she was experiencing leaking into the home in two areas. He quickly scheduled her for ice dam removal the following day. At the time I first spoke with him, I asked what method he used to remove ice dams and if he used steam. He assured me that the only way to remove an extensive ice dam was to chop it off. Not knowing any better, I took him at his word. After all, he was an A rated vendor on Angie’s List. On Sunday afternoon, January 30th, his crew of 5 men and their supervisor arrived. They spent 8 hours shoveling, pounding and chipping ice off the roof, and upon completion, my mother paid his representative $1,365.00. At the end of that day, we were left with 8-foot high piles of snow and ice, spanning the length of the porches in both the front and rear of the house. Due to the lateness of the day, and in order not to incur any additional cost, we agreed to remove the snow from its proximity to the house ourselves (to avoid flooding in the Spring). While engaged in this task, we noted that there were pieces of roof shingle mixed in with the snow and ice. It was evident that some damage was done to the roof, but at this point, we were unconcerned. During this rainy spring, my mother noticed that she had a small intermittent leak in the living room, which was new. We finally called in the original roofer to come and take a look and, hopefully, fix whatever damage was done by Mr. Browning’s ice dam removal. Please note: this was a four-year-old Architectural Asphalt shingle roof (installed in March 2007), guaranteed for 30 years. It was a good quality roof, which we expected to last. Our roofer reported that “over 75% of the roof is damaged… some of the damage includes torn and missing shingles, scuffed off granules down to the asphalt/fiberglass mat and pic axe or hammer holes through the shingles…” Our next step was to call in our insurance adjuster. He too looked at the roof and confirmed the severity and scope of the damage reported by the roofer. Unfortunately, this type of damage was not covered by my mother’s insurance, nor is it covered by the manufacturer’s warranty for the shingles. We proceeded to get a quote from our original roofer to replace the entire roof. The expected cost was just under $13,000. When I spoke to Mr. Browning in August about the extent of the damage caused by the ice dam removal, he was incredulous that the damage could be so extensive. I explained that we received the same information from two sources, one of which, our insurer, had nothing to gain by reporting the extent of the damage, as they would not cover the damage in any event. I told Mr. Browning that we were left with no option but to replace this virtually new roof, to the tune of almost $13,000. After some back and forth, he agreed to make a quick trip to my mother’s house to inspect the roof. It seemed to be merely a cursory inspection as Mr. Browning arrived at dusk, not the best time to view the damage. When I next spoke to Mr. Browning, he assured me that he and a couple of his men could fix the damage. He made light of the effort it would take to restore the roof to an approximation of its original state, saying that the damage did not appear that bad to him. I was not able to take Mr. Browning’s assessment of the damage seriously because of the vast discrepancy between his take on the damage and the reports from two different sources I already had. I asked Mr. Browning to “do the right thing” and take care of replacing this roof. I asked that he seek the help of his own insurer, if necessary. He obstinately refused to consider doing so, until I advised him that I would be reporting the incident to Angie’s List, to the Better Business Bureau and to the Department of Labor and Industry. Ultimately, he agreed to involve his insurer: Western National. Prior to Mr. Browning’s insurer coming out to inspect the roof, I spoke to their field agent and explained the situation. I noted that the damage was verified in its severity by two sources and that my mother had experienced an intermittent leak as a result of the damage, although there was no water damage evident (also note: we had a seriously dry Fall). We finally could not wait any longer for input from Mr. Browning, and committed to have the roof replaced. On October 19th, my mother signed a contract with Home Street Home Improvers, the original roofer, to replace the roof. The contact price was $12, 863.00. At the end of October, we received a letter dated 10/24/11 by the Western National Mutual Insurance Company representative, Gary Zylstra. In it, the agent notes, “the adjuster did discover some areas of shingle damage that may have been caused by the work of Charlies Angles”. (Note: other than the occasional squirrel, no one had been up on the roof in four years. I am pretty confident that the Charlie’s Angles crew caused any and all damage noted.) The agent then focused on the issue of the intermittent leak, glossing over the roof damage. We believed the leak to be an indicator that there was substantial damage, but not the main issue. The agent goes on to say that “the policy of insurance does not provide coverage for an insured’s actual work.” So, I wondered, what does Mr. Browning’s insurance actually covers? In any event, my two phone calls to clarify the issues with insurance agent, Gary Zylstra, went unanswered. On November 9th, we had the roof replaced. We needed to take care of this issue before the first snowfall of the season, so as not to incur any damage to the insulation or to the interior of the house due to continuing to leaks. I called Mr. Browning again on Tuesday, November 29th to speak with him about what he intended to do to make the situation right (now that we both knew that his insurance was not going to help resolve the situation). I reiterated my intensions to report the incident to the entities I had previously outlined. At that point, Mr. Browning asked me what we felt a fair settlement was. My mother and I both agreed that he should pay half the cost of the new roof and refund the charge for the ice dam removal. He told me he would think about it and call me back the following day. On Wednesday, November 30th, I spoke to Mr. Browning. He told me that he would only be willing to refund the cost of the ice dam removal. In the course of our conversation, he admitted that due to the volume of roofs he had cleared of ice last winter, he would not be surprised if 10% of them were damaged. I told him that those 10% should be fixed and that it was his responsibility to take care of those repairs as a necessary cost of doing business. I also mentioned that I had personal knowledge of another of his customers whose roof was also damaged, albeit not so severely. Mr. Browning bemoaned the fact that we did not ask him to bid on the repairs. I responded that there was nothing to prevent him from being proactive and sending us a bid on repairing or replacing the roof. On Saturday, December 3, 2011, my mother received a check in the mail for a full refund of the ice dam removal. But my mother is still out of pocket for $12,863.00 for the full cost of replacing her roof, due to the negligence and poor business practices of Mr. Charles Browning. On February 3rd, Charles Browning responded to the BBB, who alerted us via a letter dated February 6th, to review his response via their Web Site. In Mr. Browing's letter, he acknowledges that and quot;damage is entirely possible during the removal processand quot;. Mr. Browning goes on to say that he has no knowledge of anyone else having damage. I know for a fact that is untrue, as I mentioned to Mr. Browning that he had damaged a neighbor's roof, almost ruining the sale of their home. This neighbor reported this unfavorable experience with Angie's List on 12/7/2011. I think it highly likely that because of our very dry fall and almost snow-less winter, there are many people out there with damaged roofs, who will not know the cause of their leaks. They will not put 2 and 2 together: the terrible winter of 2011, the ice dam removal by Charlie's Angles and the subsequent leaks they will incur.

I got 3 estimates and this was best estimate and he did a great job

I solicited several bids, and Charlie's Angels responded in a timely fashion. The bid was very competitive, immediately put me in the schedule and showed up as planned. They completed the work in two days, and it looks great. I would highly recommend this company.