Monk's Home Improvements

***Update Added Below*** We had a rep come out and give us a few quotes for various projects throughout the house, including re-grouting our shower tiles in our upstairs bathroom. We were on a tight budget so we chose to only pursue that project for the time being, and we chose Monks because they were the least expensive and we saw their overall positive reviews online. After we hired them, a different person came out to do the job and it looked really nice. He was able to scrape off the excess grout on our tiles and did a clean job with the grout. We waited the appropriate time before we used the shower again, but once we did we noticed the caulk around the base of the shower crack and pull away from the tub. We called to complain and the same person who did the job came back and used a different, silicone-based, caulk to fix it. This happened 2 more times! After a while it got really frustrating especially because we only had one bathroom and every time he came out to fix the same problem we couldn't use the shower for days while it set. It's been just over 4 months later and the problem is not only still there but has gotten worse. The grout throughout the shower (between the tiles and down the corners) has cracks and is chipping off by the faucet. Update: After I posted the above review I got a call from someone at Monk's (not the original person I dealt with). He apologized for what had happened and offered to come out and see the work. He agreed that the shower shouldn't look the way it did that soon after the job but that there was likely some underlying issue that is exacerbating the cracking. They offered to fix it at no charge. We went about 5 days before we used it and there was a little cracking by the base once again. After seeing what products they used, how many times they had to re-do it, etc. I don't think the problems are a direct result of the work Monk's did. It looks as though there is an underlining issue that is causing the problem. I was pleased that they took such quick action.

I was very pleased with all aspects of the work performed. The foremen and the workers were all pleasant and easy to talk to. Kurt, Raul, and Wilson were very clear about what repairs were being made and how those fit into the budget. There were unforeseen issues that needed repair and added to the cost, but I kind of expected that to happen. I'm quite confident I paid more than I would have elsewhere, but we're very busy people and I believe the premium was a price worth paying for not feeling I had to micromanage the job. I would use them again (and they seem to be popular among my neighbors, too.)

Monk?s did an excellent job, living up to my expectation. The work effort encompassed 5 days, with work crews between 1 and 5 individuals. The prep work (power washing, sanding, caulking, etc.) was good. The painting was sharp - good lines, with no paint slopped on the concrete or deck areas. Clean-up was good, and we?re very satisfied. In retrospect, I would consider contracting out the carpentry work separately. The charge for the work was excessive for the amount of time / materials it took. For small jobs, it doesn?t matter that much and you get peace of mind that the job was done correctly. For larger jobs, I would definitely contract out the work. Ours was a mid-size job. We selected Monk?s on the basis of quality, price vs. three other contractors. Monk?s was not the lowest price, nor were they the highest. We initially tried to work with the low cost contractor, but he always had an excuse for why the job was being delayed and would not commit. Sometimes it took days for the contractor to return calls where our Monk?s foreman (Gerardo Cordero) returned phone calls within 30 minutes. The turning point for us, however, was when the low cost contractor said he could do the work in 3 good days vs. the 5 days he had originally projected. To us that meant he was cutting corners on quality, and that?s when we moved on to Monk?s. We?re very satisfied with the work and the decision.

Called George to come out and repair a water leak that was coming from the upstairs bathroom through the ceiling into the kitchen. George came out right away and had a crew on it the next day. They do good work and George will inspect the work they do and if it is not perfect he will have his crew redo the work.

George, the project manager, is professional and pleasant to work with. Our project started within the timeframe he quoted and was completed without interruption. Caesar and his crew were friendly and talented carpenters, they arrived on time and cleaned up nicely. Overall, we were very pleased with our results. If the pricing were a tad reduced, I'd rate this as a 5 star experience, but will rate it a 4 considering the costs. In fairness, the price we paid was exactly what they quoted, they were honest with the quote. We did call several contractors and opted to try Monks because they had the references quoting they had the skill to do the job and the benefit to being a slightly larger operation was that their schedule was much more desirable for us than anyone else. We waited only two weeks to get our smaller job started.

They were wonderful. They did a lot of work for me. The price was fine for the job they did. They were a little expensive compared to other providers but it was worth it.

I wanted to offer up a suggestion to see if they might consider the Pine Brook area as it is quite close to the East Hanover area they already cover, in the near future. I would be quite willing to hire them! :)

Completed timely and carefully. Recommended to friends and family repeatedly

Very well. Clean and efficient

They are the best, very professional and outstanding service

We didn't have the work completed by Monks but the estimate was pretty reasonable, the rep was professional, and they were very good about following up.

Did not use them as the price was 1000 more for fewer rooms and the same professionalism

The cost of the work was a few thousand dollars according to Monk's. That was far more then we were prepared to spend. The offer was for some work for $100. I have to view this as a come on.

George from Monk's came out morning of the job, we reviewed what was to be done, he explained job to his crew and addressed all my concerns. Job was performed top quality and in a timely fashion. Very happy. Would hire again.

Diego arrived right on time to give me an estimate for power washing my deck, sanding and stain. Also build two new gates for the deck. In addition, the painting of my front porch, shutters and window. He was extremely professional and polite and took his time. I thought his price was very competitive, I did not use Monk's because I had a friend of the family perform the work. However, I would not hesitate to use the services of this vendor in the future.

When Brian came to the house, I was looking for help with getting a broken cabinet hinge repaired. Small stuff compared to other parts of my house that needed repair. The reason I called Monk's carpentry was that I couldn't find the hinge anywhere and I was not sure enough of the part to order it online. Being was such a small job, Brian suggested I come up with a list of items I needed help with so that the flat hourly rate would not go to waste on a 15 minute install. Brian then asked about any other major projects I had in the waiting that I wanted him to look at. I then proceeded to show him around the house at few items I had on my list that I was saving up to do. Brian was courteous and very respectful of my time, made several suggestions on my options and offered referrals for items his team didn't cover. About a week after Brian's visit, he sent me an email with the part number of the hinge and a email / name to which to confirm and order the part from. I ended up ordering the part and installed it myself but without Brian's help, I would still be running in circles. I am getting set to tackle a few of the other jobs I spoke to Brian about and will definitely be calling to get some help from him and his team. I also want to note that I have used Monk's painters in the past and this is why I contacted Monk's home improvements.

Wood floor was refinished to match other hardwood areas installed by builder. Very professional team (did not try to push other services to increase cost) - a big plus in my books. Efficient - completed work on time. Would hire again for similar services

The work was excellent and the professionalism of the Monk's representative and the workmen was the best. I would call Monk's again for painting needs.

The initial response was fine. I heard back within a day or 2 of my initial request, and we setup a time to estimate the job. Rick showed up on time and looked at the work, seemed very detailed. He indicated I would have a quote by the following Monday (this was a Friday) I didn't get a quote. I called them several times over the next several weeks, I emailed Rick directly, still nothing. The woman in the office kept telling me she would put a note on my file and send it to Rick, but I never heard back. I had high hopes given the review of their work, and had other work I was going to get them to estimate based on this first job, but they just never called back.

I was so put off by the poor communication with this company that I feel it's relevant to post even though they did not perform work at my house. They scheduled an appointment for an estimate and sent someone out - they arrived early which was great. Problem was they sent someone who did not seem qualified to help design a deck or discuss decking materials in depth. She was very nice but didn't really offer any feedback to our ideas or answer questions about the deck and materials. She brought samples which could have been helpful but again, not very knowledgeable. I waited for a response for an estimate and was about to give up. Then I was called three times by a different person from the company who claimed to have met with me about painting my house and giving me an estimate. I told her that I never met with her and that I met with someone else to plan my deck. She said ok and hung up but then called me again days later to follow up on the estimate that never happened! I told her I did not want to work with their company because communication was clearly an issue there. Then today I got another call from the person I did meet with who said she had "rough numbers" for me. She was never informed by her coworker that I told them i did not want to work with them. No apologies or anything. So that's four times they called me with no awareness of their client. I understand that communication gaps can happen, but yikes. If it had been one call I probably would not have written a review, but 4 calls warrants some feedback. Maybe this company is good for certain home improvement things, but they need to work on their communication.

They were here precisely on-time and they gave me a quote when they said they would. They were good at follow-up as well.

Price was a bit hi.work came out ok not as i expected

They seem like a very professional group. We did not use them for this job because their estimate was higher than others we received. I would definitely consider them in the future for another project.

Our estimate was completed in a timely manner. The work was scheduled right away. The crew arrived, set up and reviewed the needs prior to beginning. Job was completed, area was left in excellent condition and the crew was extremely polite. Great work! The supervisor followed up and reviewed the completed work. Excellent customer care.

Monk's helped me out in a bind. I was on a short timeline doing a complete kitchen renovation. I had another company scheduled to come out and refinish the floors, but I never heard from them and they never showed up. In a hurry, I found Monk's through Angie's List. I called them up and explained the situation and they were able to send a crew out the next day to get my floors done. The floors came out nice.