EMMEL LOUIS CO

They had installed the original railing, a portion of which needed to be removed and replaced as a result of our having the concrete steps and walkway replaced. The job entailed matching and joining the new section of railing to a portion of the original railing that did not need to be replaced. The new piece was custom fitted on site to obtain the proper curvature in the railing along the walkway. They were very nice to work with, responded quickly to our request for an estimate, came when they said they would to complete the work, did a great job, and for a very reasonable cost. In fact, the actual cost was lower than the estimate. We have been very pleased with this company each time they have performed work for us -- at both our former and current residences.

I was impressed with the professional way in which he handled the procedure, including the clear written quote. I called and said we would accept their estimate - when could we schedule the work? Mr. Koller said he had a huge back workload and it would be at least a month until he could schedule the job. All he could promise was "before the snow flies." After thinking about this for a few days, I called our second best estimate to find out when they could schedule the job. They indicated it could be done within two weeks, so I decided to go with them. I called Louis Elmmel Company and canceled my order with them.

It went very good. I took this job from him over others. He explained to me how the bid is scripted and why the costs are what they are. His standard lower bid was lower than other companies, and he couldn't understand why other companies had quoted me a couple hundred dollars more.

I hired the Emmel Louis Company to fabricate and install plain pipe railings on our concrete porch steps and along the concrete walk, which slopes upward from our front steps to the porch. In his dealings with us, Mr. Koller was down-to-earth and honest. To his credit, although the railing had long been fabricated, he was not willing to install it until he was certain that the weather was warm enough for the cement to set properly. Then, as arranged, he remembered to call the night before. I sent him a check after the job was completed. This was one of the most painless home improvements we've done. I gave a "B" for pricing because we didn't solicit any other bids and although the price was certainly fair for the quality of the work done, I don't know that it was especially inexpensive. If you would like to see an example of the Emmel Louis Company's work, this company fabricated and installed the railings behind the Schenley Park Visitor Center.

Contacted Emmel Louis for a bid, they were the only provider to respond. They came and measured and provided a quote by phone. I agreed to the price and they fabricated and installed the handrail within three weeks. I mailed them a check after the installation. The handrail and the installation were both top quality.