Handy Andy

The person that came to give a quote for the work arrived at my house and I went over the items I needed done. One item was to install a bathroom fan/light combo. I asked if the switch could be placed near the shower so someone can turn on the fan while in the shower and the guy said it would be no problem. This would have been against the building code since switches are not allowed near showers for safety reasons. Next I showed him the attic door which needed replacing. I had already purchased the ladder and just by eyeballing it, this guy said it would fit. I prefer people to get out a ruler and measure my work to make sure of this, but he didn't feel the need to, or to even go up into the attic to check the framework that was already in place. Finally I showed him an old back door we had that we needed replaced. He measured the door and said it was just under 32" and not a standard 32" door. Because of this it would require extra work to get a new door to fit. After he left, I measured the door then went to Lowe's and measured their 32" doors. It turns out that ALL 32" doors are slightly less than 32 inches just like mine, so this guy was either lying in order to charge more (which he did) or he was not familiar with installing doors. Needless to say, I did not hire Handy Andy due to their lack of knowledge. I would be uncomfortable having them do any work at my house.

I have always enjoyed working with Andy (see my review from December 2011). If it is possible, I enjoyed working Andy and his crew even more this time around. Andy brought along great helpers (Brandon and Steve) who were very professional and eager to please. As we moved from room to room, I inevitably remembered other unfinished projects and forgotten problems that had not made it on to my original list. Andy's enthusiasm to add them to our ever-growing list never waned. In fact, he sometimes noticed and suggested some repairs, like replacing our broken doorbell on the front door - which slipped my mind since I rarely ring my own doorbell. It was a fast and inexpensive repair that makes such a difference to visitors to our home! Here are some additonal things I appreciated about this most recent session working with Handy Andy - The team showed up on-time (or even a little early) every day they worked with us. I never had to waste any time waiting for them. Andy maintains great communication about plans, and responds promptly to phone and email messages. Andy comes prepared with all the needed tools and a surprising amount of materials and supplies on-hand. He is very honest and ethical. Andy will always tell you what he can do; he'll check with experts if he has any questions; and he'll decline a project if it is outside his crew's area of expertise or if you could get better value elsewhere. Andy keeps me informed of costs along the way so there are no unhappy surprises at the end. And one of the best advantages of working with him - great value. He works hard and works fast during the entire time he is onsite, and always takes care to do a job well. Handy Andy is a rare find. I give him my highest personal recommendation. I only hope he will be available - and not too busy with his growing base of customers - to do another "home tune-up" for us next year.

Andy is great! Wouldn't hesitate to use him for any home improvement project. We have really high ceilings - somewhere around 20 feet. Some handymen didn't even want to tackle our projects, but Andy efficiently and competently completed everything we needed done. He even hauled a massive step ladder from Home Depot on his own to reach our ceiling - and I don't mean one of those light aluminum ones. I mean one of those extremely wide heavy fiberglass ones. It is beyond me how he handled that monstrosity on his own. I had to leave the house for a little while to check something with the microwave at a local store, but had no concerns about leaving Andy at my house by himself. I also appreciate that he'll openly tell you if he doesn't think he's the best guy for the job. But he'll never leave you hanging - he always has someone to recommend. He also recognized that I'm pretty competent with minor home improvements, so when I asked him about a project that he thought I might be able to tackle on my own, he told me so and explained how to do it - can't beat a handyman who tries to save you some money! But, of course, if I decided not to tackle the project myself, I know he'd always be happy to do it. In short, he's competent, trustworthy, and a nice guy.

He was very good and very professional. He was punctual and the price was quite good.

Chris was fantastic, went above and beyond with effort as unexpected issues cropped up to complicate the work. He explained the work and consulted about less costly alternatives. I am very pleased with the outcome and would hire them again for projects.

There are so many great things to say about Andy's work! First of all, his work is excellent value. Andy gets a tremendous amount of work done while he is onsite, and the work is impeccable. Second, he comes prepared with a truck that holds all the basic tools he needs to do the vast majority of jobs so he isn't wasting time with small trips to the hardware store. Third, Andy knows exactly what he is good at, and what needs to be delegated to someone with more expertise or referred to another professional. Fourth, he is a "can-do" guy. If you have a challenging project, he has a positive attitude and makes it happen. We had a large desk that our national movers said could not make it upstairs. Andy said it could, and he and his assistant eased it up to it's rightful place in my home office and I'm typing this report on that desk right now. Another example: we wanted to move an overhead light fixture in our dining room to center it over our dining room table. Two other professionals (electrician, and a different handyman) said it would very difficult and expensive to do this work. Andy said it would be no problem - brought in the right folks to help - and it was quickly done. The ceiling was so neatly repaired you cannot even see where the fixture once had been. Lastly, and most importantly, Andy builds great communication and trust with his clients. He wants to know if there is ever a question or misunderstanding, and applies his same positive attitude and efficiency to addressing any issue that may arise. On top of everything, he is prompt, responsive, and reliable. It is a relief and a joy to have one person to call who can help us maintain our home in good working order.