American Built Cabinets

I don't usually read or write reviews, but after seeing all the negative reviews, I felt I'd share my experience. Mike did a superb job on all the work he did on my projects. The cabinets Mike built with his two hands, are beautiful. The look is wholly custom because, yes, he built them and stained them in my driveway. Now that they are installed, they look fabulous!! I even got teary eyed when I saw them after installation because they looked amazing. I have been doing a total remodel of my house for some years and have worked with a dozen companies and various crews. I've learned that things never (ever) go as planned. My house seems to be "worst-case scenario." I don't put much credence in online bad customer reviews because I mostly find them to be customer "*****" sessions, or they are made up by competitors. For my projects, I research potential companies before I work with them by contacting the BBB, talking with past customers and looking at a past work, sometimes even in person. This has always worked for me. Renovation can be cruel and I don't wish it on my worst enemy. Basically, expect the unexpected and be prepared to make compromises when needed to finish a project. Having open (brutally honest) communication with your contractor from the beginning is key ~ never assume anything. Having multiple options and alternatives is key as well. And having an open mind to changing plans when circumstances change is key. And always, always budget for 30% more for a project because unexpected expenses always crop up. I've had a few not-so-good experiences, but by not thinking it's my way or the highway and hunkering down in my viewpoint, I've been able to always work out issues by meeting in the middle. I luv how my projects turned out and am completely satisfied with Mike and his work.

unknown

This is an update to the review I submitted last year. Unbelievably, it got worse with time. We never heard from Mike about rectifying his shoddy work. He never kept his word about quality. Ever. About two months ago, we were asleep and heard a huge crash in the house in the middle of the night. When we investigated, we found Mike's mantel on the floor of the living room. He had merely glued the mantel to the bricks. No other support. It stayed in place barely a year. When it crashed, the urn containing our son's ashes broke, along with two lovely pieces of amethyst Depression glass and other display items. This is a Hall of Shame job. Unbelievable.

unknown

We hired Mike Shoyket to build a simple mantel to replace the existing one gracing our 1965 fireplace based on our experience with Mike as a journeyman under master woodworker Jim Gaskill's guidance. In 2009, Jim built the tea-stained cabinets in our kitchen, which can be seen at http://www.americanbuiltcabinets.com/. Not long after our kitchen remodel was complete, Mike began working on his own. When I found out Jim Gaskill was no longer taking jobs, I got in contact with Mike. His bid was pricey, but we hired him based on the quality of work we had seen from Mike under Jim's tutelage. Beginning July 28, 2014, I sent Mike several photographs and numerous texts regarding the design and scope of the job. Mike came by our house, and we discussed job specifics. He accepted the job and assured us that the mantel would be made of a thick slab of alder wood and the edges trimmed as per the pictures I had provided to him. Over the course of several weeks, we corresponded regarding details of the job, including the need for staining the underside of the alder and redoing the routering per specs. The approval process was not professional. A month later--after a proactive bunch of emailing on my part--a slab of alder and trim pieces around its edge were installed. Also, two holes in the fireplace above the mantel's top edge somehow happened after the mantel was installed. Mike had failed to mention that fact. The holes were covered by weights used in attaching the new mantel to the corbel supports. On further inspection after Mike left with the last part of the payment, we saw that Mike did not complete the trim per our original instructions. He mitered the corners of the trim instead of cutting a rabbit joint, as was specified. Also, we saw that the trim was not flush with the slab on any side. I texted him immediately to advise that we were not satisfied. Mike first said that he would come over to the house and reattach the trim properly. We kept waiting and texting and getting put off on that. Finally, I told him that I would be writing up a negative review if he didn't come and fix the pricey mantel. He assured us that he was rebuilding the mantel to original specs and would be over to install the new mantel. Never happened, even after two reschedules. Three months for a board and a couple of pieces of trim from this "woodworker." I give up on this guy.

Mike came and made designs for our kitchen in May. This included all new custom cabinets, granite counters, and tile backsplash. He insisted on throwing in a bunch of extras including soft close drawers and undercounted lighting for free. He took a 50% deposit. After months of stalling and excuse after excuse he began work in late September, after asking for more money for supplies. His work was shoddy, delayed and rushed. We ended up firing him and hiring someone else to finish. Although we paid him 92% of the agreed upon price he did not pay a sub who is now harassing us for payment.

unknown

American Built Cabinets robbed us of USD 4300 and nothing to show for it but a lot of diagrams drawn on the walls of our new home!