I'm registered and insured. I give free estimates. I've been doing painting and general handy ma'am services since 2010 and have recently decided to focus my business on painting. I do indoor painting as well as power washing and staining decks.
I've gained my general handy ma'am skills from what I learned while working on my 270 year old farmhouse that I bought in 2002, fixing up a house to sell in the Frankford section of Philadelphia, fixing up run down urban homes with a church group, doing extended Habitat for Humanity builds in Alaska and South Dakota and helping my father renovate our house when I was in high school.
My previous career was in business management; 18+ years in operations management in a pharmaceutical company (McNeil Consumer Products Company) and eight years owning a business consulting practice (GrowthLinx).
Girls with paint brushes and power tools rock!
Business highlights
16 years of trusted experience
Services we offer
Painting - Indoor
Power-washing and staining decks
Services we don't offer
No outdoor painting as my insurance does not cover that.
Contact the person numerous times. First time I was told that she was booked 2 weeks out. I said that was fine but that was the last time I got a response. After repeated emails and a couple phone calls nothing.
Description of Work: Large List of Items
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
professionalism
1.0
responsiveness
1.0
Michael H.
08/2018
5.0
handyman service, interior painters
+ 0 more
Very good. Excellent work have and will hire again. Very knowledgable amd willing to teach how to do the services she provides. Vwry friendly and professional
Description of Work: Painting and trimwork
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$1,100
Donna S.
06/2018
1.0
handyman service, deck cleaning, pressure washing
+ 1 more
Not good. It looked ok at first, not including the pergola, The pergola was not done and it was part of the job! Also, she was supposed to come back and move all the stuff back to the deck. She said she could not do that because she had another job. Instead, she asked a teenager to contact me to do it. One important note: she asked me to pay her in advance because she was short on money. My mistake there!
Description of Work: Diane was hired to refinish my deck. She assured me that she knew what she was doing. She first power washed and the applied the paint. I asked if she would apply sealant and she said the paint she applied would seal the deck. Now, only a year after she "refinished" the deck, most of the paint is chipping off. The original, unfinished wood is once again showing.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
1.0
value
2.0
professionalism
4.0
responsiveness
3.0
punctuality
4.0
$700
Mary M.
10/2017
2.0
handyman service
+ -1 more
No response to calls, voicemails, text messages or Facebook messages. Not sure this provider is still taking business.
Description of Work: Deck step repair
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
responsiveness
2.0
Robert D.
07/2017
1.0
deck cleaning
+ -1 more
I reached out to Diane to strip and re-stain my deck. She was very responsive over the phone and came out to look at the deck and came out on a Sunday morning to look at it per my request. After some discussion, she decided to have a Sherwin Williams rep come take a look at it due to the existing surface treatment. She then left, letting me know she would be on vacation for a few days and would take some time getting me the proposal. I spoke with her rep on Monday so she could get the best idea of how to proceed. Thursday, I texted Diane to ask when I would see the proposal and she responded that I'll have it that evening. I got a call from her on Friday while she was at another job to discuss some details of my proposal. I sent her another reminder for an estimate on Monday evening, and finally got a proposal. After a couple emails of questions about the work being done, she replied that she was turning down the job because she felt that I didn't trust her. On the phone, she told me that I was taking up too much of her time without having scheduled work yet. This was the morning after she had sent me her proposal. She then told me that the only way she would proceed working is if I paid her in cash. I can't recommend that anyone waste their time working with Diane. The distinct lack of professionalism should have been enough for me to look elsewhere sooner.
Description of Work: Deck needed stripping and restaining
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
value
3.0
professionalism
1.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
4.0
Liz V.
06/2017
5.0
handyman service, interior painters
+ 0 more
Diane is a pleasure to work with! The work being performed was for a rental property that was vacant at the time, and I felt completely comfortable with her coming and going as needed to fit various stages of my work in with her other clients' projects. Everything was completed as agreed. The house is so much more presentable thanks to Diane!!
Description of Work: Painting and small jobs such as replacing screen door closer, repairing stair railing, replacing ceiling a few tiles in a drop ceiling, fixing door latch, etc.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
4.0
responsiveness
4.0
punctuality
4.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$2,250
Andrea P.
05/2017
5.0
handyman service
+ -1 more
Diane is amazing. She is great at what she does, attention to detail is fantastic. She thinks outside the box if a project can be done a different way.
Description of Work: Blinds installed, small fix -it projects, painting.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
Response from Diane Handy Ma'am
It has been wonderful to work with you as you prepared for your baby. Congrats!
Gerard G.
12/2016
5.0
handyman service
+ -1 more
Diane was very quick to respond after I left her a message inquiring about the work. We were in a hurry to have the bed assembled just before thanksgiving as we were expecting company that weekend and Diane went out of her way to squeeze us into her schedule. She completed the job in one day and even called a helper in order to get it done in time. She was professional and personable and did quality work. And, as a bonus, my 6 year old loved her and asked if she could come back!
Description of Work: Diane assembled a large Murphy bed for us.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$350
Chris T.
11/2016
5.0
drywall, handyman service, interior painters
+ 1 more
Diane did a super job and was a pleasure to work with. We greatly appreciated her friendly personality and her outstanding professionalism.
Description of Work: Drywall, painting, and general handiwork.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
Response from Diane Handy Ma'am
I hope you are all happily relocated to the California you so love! Thanks for the note [Member Name Removed] and Vicki. It was truly a pleasure to work for you! ~D
Laurie H.
11/2015
5.0
handyman service
+ -1 more
My mother had been placed under hospice care and we needed to get her wooden bedframe disassembled and moved to the garage in order to make room for her hospice bed. Because of my mother?s condition we needed to make the change quickly. When I called Diane and explained my situation, she graciously moved things around in her schedule and came out early the next morning. Diane was one time, efficient and very understanding of the battle our family faced in dealing with the declining health and imminent loss of our loved one. Diane?s prompt service enabled us to get our mother settled that much sooner and gave us that much more time to spend by her side. Diane even came back to put the bedframe back together once my mother passed. Diane is an accomplished handy woman but if you want someone who will go that extra mile, she is the one you should hire. I know I would not hesitate to use her again.
Description of Work: Disassembled bedframe in order to make room for hospital bed.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$50
Response from Diane Handy Ma'am
Hi [Member Name Removed], Thank you for your kind words. Of all the workI do I was especially touched and so I responded quickly to your need to spend that time with your mother. I was sorry to hear of her passing so soon. I know you thought about doing some painting in your home. Give me a call when you are ready to do that. Best, ~Diane
iane does a great job. I had so many things on my list for her to do. She not only replaced my ceiling tiles in the basement but she came up with a way to keep the new tiles from continually getting stained by drips from the air conditioner. My heating person's solutions was to wrap the pipes to keep them from dripping and said it would cost at least $500.00. Her simple solution saved me so much money!!! When she was fixing the opener at the back door she looked at my deck and told me how much it needed staining. I had quit using it because it looked so bad. I had even gotten an estimate to have the whole top removed and replaced! Diane said if I did it now it would keep it from splintering more and becoming a trip hazard. I had her do it and it was GREAT! I was so glad she had suggested it! I use it now and am happy it's not such an eyesore in the neighborhood. Diane doesn?t just do a job she?s hired for. She goes above and beyond to help in any way she can. I called right after a storm for her to fix my gate. While she was there she showed me the window well cover she had installed the week before the storm. Because she attached it securely to the house it didn?t budge during the storm and kept everything dry inside. While re hanging the gate she also reinforced where the gate is locked and secured on the ground. This was something I had just over looked through the years but when she did it while doing the other work I was really appreciative. It?s harder for my dog to nose his way out anymore. I can?t tell you how great it is to have someone you can trust come in your house and do what needs to be done. When she was fixing the toilet she noticed the drain in the bathroom was slow. She asked if I wanted her to clean it and boy is that nice! Again this was something I had just learned to live with. Diane has come through time and time again. I have a mail slot that I had asked her to replace. I bought a new insert for $100.00 and asked her to install it. She looked at the size I had gotten and said it wasn?t the right size. It was then she suggested that maybe all it needed was to be polished. She thought it looked like brass. The next time she came back she had the cleaning product and it took her about 15 minutes to polish it all up!! Between the polish and her work it was about $25.00 It looks BRAND NEW. I returned the mailbox slot I had purchased and saved the cost of the new slot and what it would have cost for her to remove the old one and install the new one. I have also had her strip wallpaper, paint, fix my stair railing, fix a crack in my ceiling and more. Now that I know her I find I can get anything done!
Description of Work: replaced my ceiling tiles, fixed my back door, stained my deck, hung a gate, installed a window well, fixed a toilet and my mailbox
Diane did an amazing job. She responded to my Angie's list message within a couple of hours. She came out within a couple of days to take a look at my deck and emailed me an estimate the next day. Her estimate was very fair and she was such a nice person who knew what she is talking about that I hired her immediately. We had storms for a week but as soon as the weather broke she was out to start the work. While she was there, she looked at an old deck (built in the 80's) which we had planned on removing and she suggested that she power was it and stain it with a solid stain. We agreed. Diane did both decks and they came out great. Our new deck looks beautiful and the old deck has new life and we will now be able to use it. Diane could not have been easier to work with and she was so helpful with the stain colors, etc. It was a pleasure working with her. We have interior painting we need done after the holidays and I will definitely have Diane do it. From now on, any repair we need done, we will be calling Diane. I have already recommended her to 2 people and I will continue to recommend her to anyone who needs work done.
Description of Work: Diane power washed and stained two decks.
Diane does a superb job and continually provides top notch customer service. She returns my calls promptly and arranges to stop by for quick estimates whenever necessary. Diane is a pleasure to have in your home. Not only because she is diligent about clean-up but she has a nice demeanor as well. Diane also power washed, sanded, and painted our deck and did an excellent job. She is always thorough and professional. Diane is a terrific business woman and I am looking forward to working with her again in the near future.
Description of Work: Diane painted several rooms and hallways in our home. She repaired and prepped all necessary walls prior to painting.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$1,500
M.E. W.
10/2015
5.0
handyman service
+ -1 more
Diane returned call quickly, emailed detailed estimate quickly. Communicated timeline and work progress throughout the job. Excellent finished product. Fence looks great and is now protected.
Description of Work: Sealed 270' (approx) wood fence, both sides
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$1,105
Response from Diane Handy Ma'am
Wow, what a quick review. Thanks so much. I was so happy to help. I wish more people would take good care of their fences. They get dried out and start to fall apart. Again, thank you for allowing me to do your work. I look forward to completing more projects for you. ~Diane
Danny L.
07/2015
5.0
handyman service, interior painters
+ 0 more
Quality of work was as we we expected. Diane kept us up to date with cell phone pics as she worked so that we did not have to hang around the home all day everyday. Would definitely use her again as well as for handyperson work
Description of Work: Painted entire interior of 3 bedroom home
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$2,100
Robert H.
07/2015
5.0
handyman service
+ -1 more
Dianne was very responsive and came at short notice. She was punctual, organized and did a great job! We already have her lined up to do more work for us. Very courteous, personable and professional!
Description of Work: We hired Dianne to help us with some odd jobs in preparation for selling our house -- painting, fixing a vent
Working with Diane was a terrible experience that is now costing us thousands of dollars to fix. We had Diane come in ahead of time to show her exactly what we wanted completed and to get a quote. We agreed she would start on Monday and work the entire week to finish the job. She showed up late on Monday and Tuesday and said she wasn't sure when she could come the rest of the week. She called on Thursday out of the blue saying she could now come over and showed up at 12:30 in the afternoon. Because we had already hired her to get the job done and invested money, we decided to work around her schedule in hopes that it would be worth it. She left the rooms an absolute mess and said she'd be back on the weekend. When Saturday came, she showed up at 12:00 after we could not get a hold of her earlier in the morning and said she was out to lunch with a friend and asked if she could get changed in the bedroom. She left to go to the store and didn't get back until 3:30, which is when my husband told her we would no longer be using her services. Since then, we have had a drywall professional and professional painter/wallpaper remover come out to look at what needs to be done and have been informed that she removed the wallpaper incorrectly and the work she performed now has to be undone before we can complete what she was hired to do in the first place. On top of that, she left without even attempting to remove and replace the sink and did not finish the tiles either. Even with this terrible experience, we still paid her for the entire job, including the hours for all day Saturday when she didn't show up until the afternoon and accomplished nothing. We don't typically write reviews, but this was an absolutely horrible experience and we would never want anyone to have to experience what we are experiencing because of her lack of professionalism and mistakes.
Description of Work: My husband and I are moving and were looking to hire a professional who would come in to remove the wallpaper in our dining room and master bedroom, prep the walls, paint them, remove and replace the kitchen sink and remove and replace the cracked tiles in our kitchen. Diane removed the tiles in the kitchen and moved on to start the removal of the wallpaper before even finishing the job.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
1.0
value
1.0
professionalism
1.0
responsiveness
1.0
punctuality
1.0
$700
Paul T.
05/2015
5.0
handyman service
+ -1 more
In the kitchen work, she tried different quarter round material before determining that oak would work best. She also found the correct color stain so that the quarter round would blend well with the countertop. In the bathroom work, she shimmed one end of a cabinet to line it up with the wall behind it (over the years, the floor underneath the end of the cabinet had settled, thus causing misalignment). The caulking was applied in a first-rate manner.
Description of Work: Bathroom sinks and cabinets all got new sealing caulk. One bathroom cabinet was shimmed to line up properly with a wall. In the kitchen, she applied quarter round to seal up the gaps between the countertop and the walls.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$350
janet Q.
03/2015
5.0
house painters, handyman service
+ 0 more
Diane showed when expected and went above and beyond! The job was well done and for an appropriate price- would use again for sure!
Description of Work: Performed major repairs to shed doors and then painted the shed.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$850
Gail P.
02/2015
5.0
remodeling, handyman service
+ 0 more
Still in progress. Going well. Flexible with my schedule.
Description of Work: Powder room demolition and renovation
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
4.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$3,000
Jackie C.
01/2015
5.0
handyman service
+ -1 more
Handy Ma'am came listened to what I wanted her to do. I felt comfortable with her being in my home. She followed my instructions and I am happy with her work. There were some places where the drywall needed repair and she made suggestions as to what needed to be done to remedy it. I would have her again to do more painting in future.
Description of Work: Prepped an painted bedroom walls.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$400
Paul T.
01/2015
5.0
deck cleaning, flooring contractor, handyman service
+ 1 more
Originally, Diane was hired to replace individual deck floor pieces, but there were so many pieces that were damaged (the deck was 28 years old) that we agreed to replace all of the flooring. She and a helper removed and carted off all of the old decking, then installed all new decking. They also removed and replaced the handrails around the deck. They also refurbished the built-in seat in one corner of the deck. She also replaced the steps that lead from the back yard up to the deck flooring. She later came back to apply an opaque stain to the entire deck, including the floor, the balusters, and the handrails. Her efforts were completely professional in every way, and the deck looks great!
Description of Work: Replaced the flooring of my 16 foot x 16 foot deck. Replaced the top of railing around the deck. Stained the entire deck.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$4,350
diane l C.
12/2014
5.0
deck cleaning, house painters, handyman service
+ 1 more
The project went well. Diane performed the services she promised in a prompt and efficient manner with very little inconvenience. There were some sections of the deck steps that were rotting from underneath but couldn't be seen and Diane pointed them out as she was staining that area. She replaced them as needed and the cost to do so was very reasonable. She was professional, prompt and pleasant throughout. I would call on her again for my next project and recommend her to anyone.
Description of Work: Replaced sections of our cedar deck where needed and re-stained the entire deck. Also re-stained both of our front and rear exterior doors
Diane is pleasant, professional, and prompt; ending in a picture perfect project! We will definitely call Diane again for future needs.
Description of Work: Installed closet organizer, made new moldings, replaced and refinished several pieces of hard wood flooring, and repainted closet.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$450
Andy M.
11/2014
5.0
handyman service
+ -1 more
Diane was great to work with. She was pleasant, professional and very helpful. She let me know what her schedule would be and was punctual. She was extra helpful to me because upon inspection of the deck it turned out that we needed to replace a number of rotted boards, as well as the stairs. Diane was great about explaining the options and she was able to re-use some of the old boards as she went, saving us money. I appreciated her flexibility as the original scope of the project only included power washing and staining. One day she brought a college student along to help paint which helped cut the cost because he worked at a lower rate. When she noticed the mailbox looking shabby (my words, not her's!) she offered to give it a quick wash and stain as well. The deck looks great and the stairs are much better than they have been in years. I highly recommend Diane!
Description of Work: Power washer deck, swing set and mailbox. Painted deck, applied sealant to swing set and mailbox, re-built parts of deck.
All statements concerning insurance, licenses, and bonds are informational only, and are self-reported. Since insurance, licenses and bonds can expire and can be cancelled, homeowners should always check such information for themselves. To find more licensing information for your state, visit our State Contractor License Requirements page.
*Contact business to see additional licenses.
Service Categories
Handyman Services,
Interior Painting,
Pressure Washing,
Furniture Refinishing and Repair
FAQ
Diane Handy Ma'am is currently rated 4.7 overall out of 5.
Sunday: 11:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Monday: 9:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Tuesday: 9:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Wednesday: 9:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Thursday: 9:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Friday: 9:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Saturday: 10:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Diane Handy Ma'am accepts the following forms of payment: Check,PayPal