The Home Improvement Coach

I cannot say enough good things about Chip, the owner of "The Home Improvement Coach." Not only was he a very nice person to work with, but he is truly knowledgable of everything home improvement. From our first meeting, he looked at our space, mapped it out for us, and gave us a very fair quote. He kept in touch throughout the entire project via phone & email, and was able to finish the project in exact amount of days we had been told it would take. Chris & John did most of the work and we're also very knowledgeable and kind. I plan to consult with "The Home Improvement Coach" and team in the future for home projects we wish to tackle. Bottom line: fair, reasonable, prompt, and skilled (without cutting corners). Simply the best!

First of all I want to say Chip Stewart is the BEST contractor I have ever worked with. He has done two projects for me and I would recommend him to anyone. Chip surrounds himself with very knowledgeable contractors. Even though he can do everything including plumbing, electrical, and tile work he does not hesitate to call in help. The reason I hired Chip is because I wanted my project done right and completed on time. Chip's proposal was right on the money as far as time, material, and labor. At the end of every week he supplied a "Project Tracking Sheet" which detailed labor for the week, materials used, payments and most importantly where I stood as far as project costs. Unlike most contractors, Chip passes on his costs for all materials he provided. This alone was a substantial savings on the frameless glass, granite, and some tile products. He always arrived when he said he would and so did his subs. He made sure the area was clean after each days work. He was such a pleasure to work with my wife and I actually missed seeing him when the project was done. Again, I would not hesitate to recommend The Home Improvement Coach for any project.

Chip was the second contractor I hired to fix the water leak in my all tiled shower stall. When he came, what he saw was the mess left behind by the first contractor. He stayed over an hour, asking me questions, studied water stains on basement ceiling, examined the shower door rails trying to figure out what could have caused the problem at first place. Before he left, he explained to me the possible causes of the problem. About two weeks before the project started, Chip came again to do the measurements, explained to me what he will do. He send me a detailed proposal regarding work schedule and estimated costs. During the construction, I received an email update everyday. The work zone was clean. The project was one time and stick to the proposal. The final result is great. The whole experience was positive. He was patient with my questions. I get my confident back after the nightmare of the first contractor. What a great relief knowing that there is someone I can trust when I need help with my future home maintenance/improvement projects.

Home Improvement Coach, Chip Stewart, just remodeled our powder room and we couldn't be more pleased with his work and his work ethic. He was up front with his availability, clear on what had to be done to do the job right and showed up to work when he said he would. Very professional and very pleasant to work with. Richard and Sally Jarvis

It went great. Chip is always a pleasure to work with. We have used him many times over the past 5 years. I highly recomend the Home Improvement Coach.

Chip was very professional and easy to work with from start to finish. He took care of all the details and dealt with the township on my behalf. When the contractor that was installing the egress window dropped the ball, Chip handled the situation for me, and kept the project moving. Although my job was small, I felt like his most important client. I would absolutely work with Chip again.

It was great overall....on time on budget.

Chip Stewart is without a doubt the BEST contractor I have ever worked with. At the beginning of the project he explained in detail what he would do and how long it would take. He even sent me a Home Depot link to purchase the correct transfer kit. Installation began on Friday 3/8/13. He arrived on time and ready to work. Dduring the wiring of the transfer panel he notice a problem with my circuit panel and corrected a problem that could have caused a problem at some point in time. After the panel was installed and the box mounted on the outside wall it was time to test the generator. It wasn't until that point that we both realized the generator did not have a 240v recepticle Even though it was not his fault Chip felt bad and offered to purchase the generator if I could not return it for credit. How may contractors do you know that would do that. Because I had to get a new generator to finish the project Chip ended up coming back on Saturday and Sunday at no charge. Again how many contractors would do that. He probable gave me $200 - $300 worth of labor. During the whole project Chip stayed in contact and explained everything as the project progressed. I would HIGHLY recomment Chip for any project. I will use him many times fro future work.

Working with the Home Improvement Coach was a great experience. I've work with an number of contractors and I would put this experiences as one of the best. He was very honest, trustworthy, punctual and very pleasant to work with. They saved us money, even when it meant less for them. They showed up when they said they would and returned calls and emails in a timely manner. We found them to be very trustworthy and had no problem with leaving them in our home doing work when we couldn't be there. Our project was very time sensitive and they were able to finish the project 3 days ahead of schedule. We look forward to or next project together.

I am happy to report that another home improvement project has been completed with the enormous help of Chip Stewart. After our sucessful bathroom renovation, we took on the task of remodeling our kitchen. Chip was helpful every step of the way, from planning the electrical work, to recommendations on sink gauge, depth, and placement as well as which were the most reliable fixtures. He added added additional studs to the walls for added support for the cabintry. He installed the cabinets along with providing a temporary sink during while we waited for our countertops to be installed. The granite fabricator we chose turned out to be a nightmare, ( of our choosing - not Chip's) He was right there with us backing us up and confronting the fabricator with all of the gaps and glaring mistakes that made the job look awful. He stood up for us and as a result the stone was removed and our money refunded. We could not have had accomplished it without him. We did go with his granite recomdation in the end and had a great experience. He returned to finish the job with the finishing touches the panels on the island installing the undermount lightrailings. The start of the project was in August 2012 and we finished up in December 2012. The project had it's ups and downs but Chip was there with solutions and good ideas and in the end the kitchen is fantastic and I can't remember what that old awful kitchen looked like, the function of the room is so improved and has added value to our home

Back in October I was getting water under my patio door. So I called the Home Improvement Coach to take a look. He came out and said it would need to be reinstalled. Later on I called him to setup a date, he explained he was booked for a fews weeks but call me back with a date. Its been almost 3 months and he still has not called back. So last week, I called him again and left a message stating I need other work done too. Once again he has not called back.

Overall the project went very well and the completed work looks great. Chip is trustworthy and professional, so there are no worries about him having acess to your home when you are not there. When he finished my project, we discussed a few additional items that I thought should be included as he was wrapping up. Chip was quick to take care of these things in an effort to make sure that I was satisfied with all aspects of the work. One thing that I would encourage other potential customers to do is to discuss in detail how Chip's flat-rate daily pricing works. It is a good system, but it is not without some nuances. It's best for customers to understand it up front in order to avoid confusion once the project starts. In closing, Chip does a good job and he will work diligently to make sure that you are happy. I would not hesitate to recommend him. .

We didn't have much time together, only 2 hours, but in that time I found him knowledgable, helpful, professional, and likable.

I wanted to have a DIY experience with our bathroom remodel but didn't know how to start. Chip, The Home Improvement Coach, was my coach throughout the process. He helped me with the layout, demolition, purchasing and installation. We started by removing all the old fixtures, tile and some drywall. I had the opportunity to get messy and use some really cool power tools. Chip explained that a orderly demolition would save money in the long run and he was right. We were able to save some drywall and most of the subfloor. He did most of the mechanical work, plumbing and electrical. I was able to follow along and try my hand at pipe fitting and wiring. He carefully explained each step and why it was important. I learned so much. When it came to rebuilding I was actively involved in drywalling, putting down backer board, taping and spackling. Chip taught me how to tile the floor and I was able to complete it myself. He was honest when it came to his limitation and we had someone else install the shower glass. My master bath is beautiful and I have the satisfaction of knowing how it all came together. I would highly recommend Chip to any other DIYer out there. I'm looking forward to having Chip back out to help me with our other bathroom. .

Excellent, but the plan was to some dry wall repair too for the same $, but we ran out of time.

He was very professional and courteous from the start. He came out to provide estimate and discussed options and suggestions. As he researched the area he explained what he was looking for and any issues that potentially would come out. With each step of the construction, he checked with me if height and width were acceptable. When he found an issue, like electrical lines down the openin. He explained what he would do. Chip never missed a beat. He finished the job in the time estimated and was on target with budget. He was responsive to all questions by email and was punctual. He even came back when we needed some touch ups and didn't hesitate to help us. I would definitely use him again and would recommend him to folks.

Mr. Stewart called back immediately...made the appt....was here on time and fixed today's list in a thorough and professional manner....he is extremely knowledgeable and a pleasure to have in my home...I cannot recommend him highly enough!!!!..I have already asked him to set up an appointment to tackle the next items on my list...

From the get-go, Chip was very professional, but also very personable. His background is fairly extensive and it was good to know that for someone who identifies himself as a "home improvement coach" before we even started. Not only did we get a sense for what our generator options were, but we also got a better understanding on our home's personal power grid. Chip spend an ample amount of time (two hours were "purchased", but we were close to three hours without any additional charge), and we are looking forward to working with him on the install of the generator in the near future. Based on this experience with our assessment, I am also considering using him for other projects at our home.

Chip was a great contracter. I've just bought my first house and amlearning the art of drywall and such. However I wasn't brave enough to take on electrical work or risk damaging the wall by just wacking at the wood. I bought my first couple hours using the Angie's Big Deal. I gave Chip a call and he stopped over at a scheduled time to take a look at the project. He gave me quote for the whole project (since the hours I purchased didn't cover it all) that was very reasonable and I had priced out the project with several other contractors. What I specifically liked was his mission statement to help me learn how to do new things. That being said, I mostly watched this time since the vanity area is small and only 1 person could be on the ladder. He had the box down quickly. It really was just wood screwed to the drywall studs. We ran into a bit of an issue hanging the light fixture because the wall was against the firewall and only had 2-3 inches clearance between the drywall and the concrete. Not quite wide enough for a standard electrical box. Chip was very versatile and we discussed several options. We ended up screwing the electrical box to the concrete. Very secure. My light fixture looks great. Then he showed me how to mix 20 minutes drywall mud and gave me some tips on applying it. I'm still not an expert but having someone view my technique certainly helped. I finished up the wall/ceiling the next day myself, sanding and painting. So all in all, Chip was there for about 1/2 day, removed the soffit and old light fixture, wired and installed the new one and did most of the drywall patching. I have tons more projects on my list and Chip will be first on my list to call.

We switched our initial project request list from electrical work to a powder room refinish. Chip was very easy going and said, no problem! My husband ripped out the old bathroom fixtures and Chip installed new ones and tiled the floor. Chip was a pleasure to work with and to have in our home. He has a really great personality, is highly skilled and seems to fully enjoy what he does. He does not cut corners and is not there to get in and out in a day. He checked in with me and included me in the decision making. Which, honestly at first worried me b/c he was being paid by the day. He quickly assured me that he charges for work time, not "think & plan time" which he didn't. And...in the end I am so glad he stopped to consult me b/c the decisions we made together really worked out and the bathroom looks great! The quality of work done is clearly evident. Chip knows a lot about many areas of home improvement & maintenance. He is also great with woodworking. He made our wood threshold and stained it perfectly to match our wood floors. He also made something to help secure a ceiling fan my husband was having difficulty installing on an inclined ceiling. It worked great! We will certainly be recommending & hiring Chip again.

The project was a success and done within my expected time and budget. I will use this provider again.

We had Chip, the Head Coach, redo our powder room floor. It was previously carpeted by prior owners, and Chip did an amazing job removing the old carpet and laying down a completely new ceramic tile floor. He also replaced the toilet. He was prompt, worked quickly and meticulously, and did a beautiful job. Chip was a pleasure to work with, and we already plan to do future projects with him.

Chip (the Head Coach) was a pro from the initial contact through the execution of my project. What impressed me was his responsiveness and follow up during our communications to arrange a convenient time to meet to get the job done. He arrived on time. I was very intrigued with the whole concept of a "coach" to work with you to get a job done. I totally liked that I could be as "hands on" with the project as I felt comfortable to be, or to "lay back" and watch the expert work. Well of course, with me, it was Chip (the expert) doing all the work. I was not about to try working with the table saw. But, Chip, let me feel good about being his "trusty" assistant, (handing him the tools and what not )! I was proud to carry out my assignments and responsibility) (smile)...but the glory all goes to Chip's execution of my project. The most valuable part of the experience (aside from now having the unslightly hole covered) was the education education I got about how the repair would take place, and how to execute it. Through it all, Chip was informative, patient, and it was totally obvious that he enjoyed his work. The Home Improvement Coach provides, a unique and rewarding experience--I use experience intentionally, because even though as the home owner you are seeking and buying a service, you get so much more out of the project than just having the work done! You receive--if you're willing and receptive---a more informed sense of what is involved in managing the upkeep of your home. I plan to call on The Home Improvement Coach in the future for more projects--I'm still not touching a table saw, but who knows--a few more home improvement projects I might just change my mind---ok, where did I put that first aid kit? (smile)

The brick moulding around my garage doors were in need of repair. I purchased four pieces of moulding which I primed and painted. In my mind the hard task was removing the old moulding without causing more problems. Then determining the correct angle before cutting the new pieces. I always worry about those "SIMPLE" problems that come up during a do it yourself project. While reading my e-mail I received a message from Angie's List. It was one of "The Big Deal" messages that caught my eye. As I read it I knew my problem was solved. Two hours with the "Head Coach" to complete my home project. Chip initiated the communications by sending me a message to learn about my project. We then decided on a date and time based upon my need to have the project completed and our schedules. He taught me how to properly remove the caulking and moulding strips without causing more problems for myself. We then discussed how to determine how to cut the correct angle with his miter saw. We talked about tools and techniques as well. Chip was definitely the right person to have at my side to complete this project. I would definitely recommend Chip to those who need that little extra bit of confidence by their side to complete their home improvement projects. Thanks Chip!

He did an excellent job and explained everything to me as he went along. He was supposed to work for 2 hours but really worked for 2 1/2 hoursw but did not charge me any extra. He was on time. He called me ahead of time to find out exactly what needed to be done so that he would have the approp[riate tools. I would hire him again in a minute.