Bob Steele

I hired Decks Appeal to tear out my old patio cover and build a new cedar arbor. They sent Bob to do all the work. After Bob tore doen the old patio cover, we discovered that I needed repair work to my house since much of the wood trim was rotted and needed to be replaced. Since the repair work was not part of the original estimate from Decks Appeal, Bob said he could do the work after the arbor was constructed. Bob was very methodical and thorough. He did a great job and I would definitely hire him again.

Excellent Job

This was a really great, very easy experience! I had previously hired Bob and/or his grandson to do several other projects in my yard, from small to big. Bob was willing and able to do them all. On each project, I have been extremely happy with the quality of the work, the fair pricing, the care Bob takes with my property, and his really likeable, approachable demeanor. Though I could totally count on a great end-product, a conscientious effort, great know-how, and reasonable pricing from Bob, in a prior review for a different project, I wrote that Bob was less than punctual -- but definitely worth hiring. Well, I am so happy to report that Bob is still all of those great things AND now he's also very punctual! This makes me really happy because, to me, he is now the PERFECT resource for all sorts of projects around my home! I recently had a new section of fence and a new gate installed by a local fencing company. After seeing Bob's great work on so many other projects around my home, I asked him if he would be willing to stain my new fence. He instantly accepted the job, set a firm date and time to evaluate the project, showed up a few minutes early for our meeting, and quoted a very fair price. He also told me exactly which stain to purchase and where to purchase it. (He would have worked with any stain I chose, I'm sure, but I wanted his expert advice.) The next day, while I was out of town, Bob showed up with his grandson and did the same expert job he always does. As usual, they left the job site in pristine condition. They even swept my sidewalk of all leaves and debris prior to leaving! Four days later, when I was back in town, Bob drove from Denton back to my house to be paid. I offered to meet him halfway, since it was my business trip that prevented him from getting paid the day he did the work, but he insisted that I stay home and relax a little since I just got back in town. Everything was that easy! I highly recommend Bob for all sorts of construction and handyman projects. He definitely knows his stuff and he'll definitely do a fine job at a reasonable price! You can't go wrong.

Bob Steele does a really great job! He knows what he's doing, is an expert at his craft, and has a soft-spoken, humble demeanor that is practically disarming. He's easy to like. His work is easy to admire. He keeps the job site super clean. Best of all, my shed looks fantastic! Bob and his assistant, Eric, do careful, exacting work. They clean up the job site each day before they leave for the night. They're both kind, professional, friendly, and knowledgable about their business. Bob really knows his stuff. Eric is likewise sharp and talented. Bob, as the elder of the two, seems to know all the tricks of the trade and then some! He has decades of experience in the carpentry business and can handle anything thrown his way. It was fascinating to watch him work. Eric is strong and efficient, gets right to work, and keeps his cool when the going gets tough -- which it did a few times on this project. Bob's prices are reasonable, his work is stellar, and he answers every phone call and every question promptly. In fact, I had quite a few questions for Bob while this job was in progress. But he never seemed annoyed or put out. He answered every question knowledgably and kindly. He always took my calls. I'm kind of a stickler about several things -- quality of work, punctuality, trustworthiness, to name a few. If quality of work or punctuality go by the wayside in any way, I get a little worried about trustworthiness. That doesn't seem to be a choice for me ... it's just how my thought processes seem to work. The quality of Bob's work is excellent! That counts for a lot. But I did struggle with what I saw as a lack of punctuality on this job. Bob began the work about 10 days later than the date on our contract. To make matters worse, he kind of strung me along -- on Weds, he told me he wouldn't be able to start on Thurs as planned; instead, he said, he'll start on Saturday. When he didn't show up on Saturday, he told me to expect Sunday. Then it was Tuesday. But he cut his finger very badly and had to postpone again. So then it was the next Saturday. But on Friday night he told me that he wouldn't be starting on Saturday after all. He finally started on Sunday. But he used that day as a demolition-only day, didn't show up until a little after 11am, and left within 3 hours. I was sorely disappointed. And so, I began to feel a lack of trust. The thought goes something like this: Why doesn't he care enough to keep his word on the start-date and time? If he doesn't care enough about that, will he care enough about the quality of his work? Is he going to take good care of me on this project? Is he conscientious enough that I can totally trust him? If these kinds of thoughts don't trouble you, then you won't have any issues at all with Bob ... his work is excellent; his demeanor is really likeable; his prices are great. If these kinds of thoughts do trouble you as they do me, then you will still really like Bob's work, his demeanor, and his prices, but you may have a few tense moments along the way, as I did. The great news, beyond the top-notch work and reasonable prices, is that Bob is VERY approachable and kind. You can ask him any question. You can express any sentiment. And Bob will stay steady and even-keeled and on-course, producing the excellent work you hired him for in the first place. Overall, I highly recommend Bob Steele for all of your construction needs. Just know that with his easy-going demeanor comes a fairly laissez-faire attitude about start times.