Michael F Whalen Contracting

Beware, get an inspection before paying. I'm a busy contractor that needed to a roof and siding on one of our rentals so I called Whalen. I stopped by the first day of the job and noticed no one spoke English and some shortcuts taken on the back porch roof. I spoke with Mike and he said it would be fixed. A few days later Whalen called me and said the job is finished and they emailed us the bill. I decided I better get my ladder and inspect their work just to be sure. I found tears and holes in the new shingles, flashing not installed correctly and damaged drip edges. They came back and fixed those issues and emailed us the bill again. I knew the roof had a significant amount of rotted wood so before we sent a check I asked them if the rotted wood was replaced and they said yes. I decided I should go into the attic to make sure it was replaced and it was not. They also installed the ridge vent without cutting the actual vent therefore shortening the life of the new roof due to excessive attic heat. When I spoke with Shawn Whalen he apologized and said that they subcontracted this job to some guys they had never used before and Whalen didnt bother inspecting there work. Those guys came back a total of five times and ripped up part of the new roof and fixed everything. I had a total of 5 hours of my own time inspecting and getting them to complete the job properly.

The job went very well. The crew was always at the job sight early each morning and worked throughout the day. The little things and added touches were great. They always cleaned up each day. I was very particular about how I wanted the front porch done, and Shawn worked with me and gave me over and above what I was looking for. I definitely recommend them and would call them again for any improvements we might do later on

Michael Whalen did a fantastic job; completed the work in a very timely manner; accommodated minor changes requested during the course of the work; and, provided complete clean up of the site when finished. I highly recommend Michael Whalen Contracting and will seek them out for use on future projects that I may have.

They were excellent in every way.

Every step of working with Mike Whalen, his son Sean, and his company was absolutely AWESOME! I sent them a message through their website and they called and came out to give us a quote the next day! I was super impressed with their punctuality and knowledge at this point. Mike got a quote back to us in a few days, we discussed and decided we wanted to change the scope of our project a bit and Mike was very patient with us through this process. He came out 1-2 more times and provided us with another quote. After we accepted he walked us through everything we needed to do to get the process started, and his guys were out a few weeks later! The project took 6 days total, Day 1 tear down, day 2 digging holes for posts, day 3 posts in and framing began, Day 4 framing finished, Day 5 deck boards went down, Day 6 railings and stairs were in and they were done! I am so amazed with the craftsmanship of the work and how much the team communicated with us throughout the project. Mike would call us every night to give the details of what had been done that day, any issues they ran into or decisions we needed to make. Being the first contractor we have worked with, I don't plan on searching for another one for our next project. Mike and his team will certainly be our first and only call! 

Owner came right away to give us an estimate.  Supplies were delivered promptly.  Crew showed up early and got started. Worked steadily around weather and got done in a day and a half. Really nice job. Owner followed up with phone call to make sure we were satisfied. Would definitely use again.

Michael showed up to discuss my roofing needs. The shingles & dumpster arrived next day. The team started working the day after. There was excellent communication btwn the workers & me. We discussed the porch roof and ways to remedy the flat roof. The work was excellent.

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Mike was prompt to come and evaluate.  He submitted the estimate promptly as well.  When a date was set, that's when they showed up and worked every day until completion.

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Everything went as planned. No hidden costs. Very professional and  great work ethics.
Couldn't be more pleased and satisfied.

In a single day, Michael's crew placed the posts and railings on my front porch, giving it an entirely new look. In additions, the crew took out two old exterior doors, replacing them with new, better and more energy efficient ones. They placed two new storm doors on those entryways as well, and now I'm all set. I was quite surprised that that could do all that they did, but I shouldn't have been. This is the second time I've used Michael Whalen Construction (he did a beautiful deck for me two years ago) and it will not be the last. Like I told Michael, I'm already thinking of the next project.

The crew was punctual, professional, courteous and always working - no fooling around on the job.  They arrived at 7:00 a.m. and began their work immediately, and left in the afternoon around 4 or 5:00 p.m.  This was a large job and this 4 man crew completed it in 6 days of steady work.  They cleaned the area every day before they left for the day.  I have not found any stray nails or debris.  These guys are professional and possess the skills needed for a quality job.  I can only praise them.

Selecting a home contractor can be a very unsettling task. Sites such as Angie's List are helpful in this process, but in the end one is left to rely on the accuracy of other customer reviews, personal references, and gut-feeling. We recently decided to have a deck extension built at our home. The first contractor we approached was a guy we used in the past and who had always done nice work at a reasonable price, however, for a variety of reasons, including failure to produce evidence of worker's compensation coverage, caused us to change contractors. We used Angie's List to choose another contractor, based upon reviews, price, and the professional approach he brought to the job. We selected Michael Whalen Contracting of New Kensington and were absolutely delighted with both the finished project and the very skilled and polite workers who worked at our home. In that the weather finally broke enough last week to dig footers, etc., four workers showed up on Monday morning and by Thursday afternoon, the project was completed. The four men worked extremely hard and well together and went above and beyond to deliver a very nice finished deck extension. This is the type of contractor a homeowner dreams of working with and I am proud to give them my highest recommendation. In addition, I would gladly provide an excellent reference to any homeowner who wishes to discuss our satisfaction with Michael Whalen Contracting.

Sincerely,
Gary & Janet Grysiak
Monroeville, PA

Work was completed accurately and on time. Mike was a pleasure to deal with. Would recommend 

We are extremely happy with the services provided by Michael
Whalen, his son Sean, and their crew.  No detail was given up on this gutter job.
 
Estimate
Let?s start back with the Estimate that started more than a month ago.  Michael stopped by the house to visit my wife.  He entertained us about our house and its long term potential.
 
When I reported that the job that we wanted complete before the winter was upon us was just gutters, I expected some disappointment because I have had other contractors tell me they were not interested in small jobs.  Michael gladly jumped at the opportunity to take my gutter measurements and the estimate he mailed back to me was within our
budget.
 
Michael left us with a siding sample book that was very big
and very detailed.  Though he didn't know if he?d ever hear back from us, he gave us all the tools to get on with our
lives and possibly contact the next contractor. 
 
Estimate Follow-up
In the project estimate business --- follow-up is essential.  Michael followed up with
a clean estimate in a PDF.  I have had such bad experiences getting contractors to write down their estimates that I
was completely flabbergasted when we got an estimate on company letterhead.
 
By the way, if you have happened to get a contractor that is not willing to provide an estimate on official company letterhead, they are scared that you will shop around, and are insecure about one of 3 things:

(a.   
They are insecure about their estimate because they
are overpriced.
(b.   
They have a good estimate, but their work leaves
little to be desired
(c.    
They are overpriced and their work leaves little
to be desired (this one is the worst kind)

You know you have a good contractor when he/she isn't afraid to give you a number and challenge you to find a better deal.  Angie?s List takes care of the work to be desired piece. You only have so many chances to make a first impression.

Day of Work
I was not there the actual day the crew arrived but my wife reported that the whole crew was barely noticeable.  They worked quietly and thoroughly.  They were very kind and courteous.
 
Completion Follow-up
I received an email back from Michael asking if we were satisfied with the work. That was the finishing touch.  We were glad to hear back, and in the end, we were very happy. 
 
Pictures
 
As you can see I went up on the roof to check out the work at closer detail.  Even though most of the work was already visible,
I decided to get up on a ladder and inspect the inside of the gutters.  As you can see, matching caulking fills all the holes perfectly and the end caps are nicely sealed.   I would have been satisfied with just white, but they went the extra mile.  Also, all
the gutters have a perfect overhang that captures rain that would fall off from the corners. 
 
If I would have shopped the estimate, I may have received a little better price.  But Michael and his gang hit all the important areas.  So, when you get a winner, you stick with it.  I expect that my next project will have Michael involved. 
GREAT JOB GUYS!!!

Everything went very well. The job has been completed in one day and everything looks great. I would recommend them for all contracting work.

Trim pieces around the arched windows were installed using two different finishes and  did not match after we specifically reviewed this detail. Contract specified that 2-3 additional panels were to be replaced on the rear of the house and only 1 was replaced because the workers had stated that they had to finish today and wouldn't be returning. Paint spots were splattered on the trek decking. when I mentioned to the contractor he told me they'll come off with soap and water, not true...Contractor used two different materials for base trim on rear of house,

Contractor stated that he was getting too old for this business and didn't need to hear my issues. That he had lost money on the job even though he finished within the time frame he quoted. Be careful when a contractor states that he wants to make sure your happy with his work, then when issues arise he comes back and states that it's impossible to make you happy...

Went very well. Workers were on time and completed job in 2 days. Did a good job cleaning up too.

This is my second review of this contractor and I can't say enough. 
They came a month ago to install a sliding glass door onto a deck that wasn't built yet.  They are finishing the deck as I type and it is gorgeous!
The guys were polite and thorough and did a fantastic job.
Thanks again Mike.  You will be our contractor of choice for our next project!

Highly recommend...see comments

I called Mike on Tuesday and he came out that Saturday to give us a bid.  He was very honest with his quote - gave us a ballpark figure and followed up with a quote via email.
He has been in constant contact and ask if they could install the sliding glass doors prior to the deck installation.  (we can't have the deck installed until the A/C unit is moved)  We agreed.
Mike's son and crew worked last Thursday and Friday, removing an existing window and installing a slider with vertical blinds built into the door.   The crew was extremely professional and did a fantastic job.  I am thrilled!
We are anxiously waiting for the deck to be built and if it goes as smoothly as the door I know I will love it.

It went very well   They are very efficient and cleaned up great after work   I would use them again in the future

Excellent. Easy to work with, always on time, daily contact with us. Helpful, excellent workmen, good quality work. Would hire him again.