JOE COX CONSTRUCTION & HANDYMAN

My ambition was to replace the door myself. Joe had done some things for us before, much faster and better than I might have done, so I asked him for an estimate. I thought that his estimate was a good value for his level of skill and for assurance that the job would be done properly and quickly. As it turned out, it also covered a problem that I hadn't noticed until Joe pointed it out. I was looking for a mid-level, fiberglass door that would qualify for the energy credit. Joe buys materials for his customers at cost, and as previously, I was happy to leave the purchasing to him. The door fit the hole, but the door casing didn't clear the space beneath the ceiling. The ceiling is not level: it declines to within about a quarter-inch above the door. Joe had to cut the casing diagonally. Joe finished another fine job in not much more than three hours on site.

Called to get information and schedule appoint to see my project (improvement of existing center work island in kitchen). Took several calls to get Joe to respond. When he did, he was rude, impatient, and generally very unprofessional. I cannot believe he was chosen as a top contractor for 2011!!!

Mr. Cox arrived on time each day at a time convenient for me. He requested a signed contract and a deposit and let me know up front what to expect so there were no surprises. You could tell he actually enjoyed the work he was doing and made sure to explain what and why he was doing something. He had to make more than one trip to complete the skim coating. He definetely takes pride in his work and I was glad to be the recipient. I believe he really enjoys woodworking (buit-ins and such). I felt comfortable having him in the home.

I discovered Joe Cox last year on Angie's list and was very happy with the work he did in our home on two different occasions. So, he was definately my "go-to" guy when we were ready to have some interior repair work done after contracting with a roofing/exterior company do repair to fix a leak around dormer windows. The leaks we had were hurricane and subsequent storm related, so that process took quite a while due to the large volume of problems in our area and the difficulty in getting scheduled for estimates, etc. When that work was done and we were finally able to address the interior repairs, I called Joe. He returned my call promptly. He was in the middle of completing another job, but kept in touch with me as to when he'd be able to stop by. I was so relieved when I finally saw him at our door the next week for his estimate! He thoroughly surveyed our situation and assured me that he would call that evening with our estimate. Before he left, I asked him to also look in our garage to assess how we could create some needed storage in the dead space under the stairs and to add shelves to an existing closet. Just as he promised, he called me the same evening, provided the estimate and a probable timeline for starting the work. Joe was able to come back the day before Thanksgiving. He got started on the repair first thing in the morning, but discovered, when he opened the drywall, that the area in the attic was still wet. It had rained the day or so before and in spite of our just - completed exterior work, that "fix" didn't solve our problems. Joe put his work on hold while we callled back the exterior company. (That company came wiithin hours, did some emergency caulking to ward-off more damage, and then returned after the holiday to complete the repair.) Meanwhile, Joe started what he could in our garage, and then we agreed to leave things on hold until our outside repair company could get back to do their work. Joe carefully attached some plastic to our ceiling to protect our room and to allow the attic area to dry. Again, we called Joe once we were satified with the outside work and he came within a day to get back to his drywall work. He had explained that the process would require him to make several short trips to the house in between sanding,etc. Joe always called to confirm times and always showed up exactly as agreed. When not working on the drywall, he completed our garage storage projects. (It was great to get things off the floor in the garage and into much needed storage areas!) Joe was finally able to complete the drywall repair and some touch-up painting in our bedroom and the guest bath. (We had discussed with Joe that our painter will come at a later date to repaint the ceiling and bedroom, but Joe retouched so that the rooms look presentable.) Joe Cox is the guy you want to call! He is knowledgeable, professional, prompt, and always courteous. I feel very comfortable when he is in my home and will definately call on him again when the need arises. ,

Mr. Cox installed baseboards, crown molding, and some other trim for me. At all times he was professional, and always kept me in the loop with regard to his schedule. His honesty is refreshing - especially in the world of contractors. When he came to give an estimate I also asked if he would be able to install new oak banisters. He clearly stated that he could not. I figured it was worth asking. I didn't expect that he'd be able to do everything I asked, and I'm glad he didn't try to, especially if it's out of his area of expertise. Joe arrived precisely when he said he would every day, and the job actually took less time than he originally indicated. I also appreciate that he didn't laugh at me when he saw that I had tried installing the crown molding myself - and it looked like it. The finished job is exactly what I asked for, at a competitive price, performed by a professional. I would definitely consider using Mr. Cox again for similar work, and I'm considering using him to build a bookcase too.

STAY AWAY!!!!! SCARY AND BAD!! This was a a complete disaster. I have owned numerous houses and had countless contractors. I have NEVER had any issues like this!! After he gave me an estimate, I hired Mr. Cox to build some bookcases in my new home and gave him $2000.00. On our second meeting, due to some miscommunications, I met him 20 minutes after he arrived. He began shouting, and then, literally, yelling, at me about "our schedule." I should have let him go then and there, but, since the materials were delivered and we had a contract, I figured I'd just let it go. I informed him that my children awoke at 8:00 and went to school at 9;00 and that his access to the garage (where his tools and materials were set up) was free (I gave him a garage door opener), but that getting free access to the work areas would be problematic before 8:30/ 9:00. The day work was supposed to begin, my phone began ringing at 7:45. When I answered, Mr. Cox informed me that he was outside and needed "immediate access" to the house in order to put down cardboard. I responded that my children were not even awake and that we had agreed to a later time. He began shouting at me on the telephone until I had no choice but to hang up. He repeatedly called back. and then started ringing the door bell and banging on the door. My three young children and my elderly mother were all awake now and totally frightened. I looked out the window and he was outside pacing up and down the driveway. He called again and again and I finally answered. He was still screaming irrationally and I told him he needed to take his materials and leave my property or I would call the police. I called the police and, in the interim, he called back again and again and pounded on the door a few more times. He left just before they arrived. Ultimately, after a number of e-mails, he finally send me a check, minus $800.00 that he claims were for materials (all subsequent carpenters have said that he actually paid half of that), Regardless, my family and I were subjected to this nonsense, I am out $800.00, I have a garage full of over-priced material that I doubt anyone can use, and I still don't have any bookcases. STAY AWAY!!!!!!!!!

Left several messages and never received a return call. Was disappointed as the fellow got excellent reviews from those whom he had done work.

Disappointed to report that Mr. Cox was unprofessional enough to literally hang up on me, offending me enough to report this encounter. I had been quite impressed with his great references here on Angie's List and was excited to use him for a whole host of handyman projects (fence repair, replacing hardware and deadbolt in my front door, a problem with my fireplace hearth, replacing a small piece of flashing on my roof, etc). I spoke with him and he was nice at first, telling me that unfortunately he wouldn't be able to help me with my front door because my house was built in 1920. He said that because there may be lead paint on the door, there are EPA regulations that require someone to be certified to work with it. I totally understood this, but then wanted to ask him about the other projects -- I began to ask, but he interrupted me about the lead paint preventing him from doing work for me. I know that working on my fireplace hearth masonry problem, the fence repair, the roof, etc. a would not involve lead paint regulations, but he interrupted me again before I finished and said he doesn't do masonry work. I was frustrated that I couldn't even get a word in edgewise and said, "well I was hoping you could still help me with the fence, but if you don't even want to come near the house...." and he told me it wasn't that he doesn't want to come near the house, so I said, "well you didn't even let me get to the other things I could use help with!" and he said curtly, "Good, luck Ma'am" and hung up on me (I heard the click as I was starting to thank him!). It was odd how he reacted so strongly and seemed so abrupt, but I read in another report that he had been unprofessional (I just discounted it since he has so many great reviews), so I suspect he does great work IF there are no problems. Unfortunately for me, Mr. Cox was not very patient or professional during my brief contact with him.

Joe was the first person who came out to look at replacing my attic stairs who knew what he was talking about. My stairs were extra wide and impossible to replace at that size. He spent the time to tell me what he thought was the best thing to do (in detail) and made me really understand the process. He was able to come to do the job very quickly and did a very professional and good job. I was impressed that despite how far I was from his home, he came back several time to apply coats of ? that needed to dry inbetween. I was very happy with his work and would use him again in a heartbeat.

The experience was very positive. He was prompt, courteous, gave a good estimate and kept to it. His workmanship was excellent and the patch work is seamless. I also was impressed by the care he took to ensure a lasting fix. I would be pleased to call upon his services again.

He did a great job and showed up on time. He corrected anything that we would request him to and his prices were reasonable.

Mr. Cox responded promptly to a request for an estimate. He arrived on time and gave excellent advice. We decided that since only parts of the job were in his range of services to go with someone else. Now that I know more about his services, I would surely ask him back if I had the right assignment. He is knowledgeable and professional.

I initially called Joe to fix our garage door. He was very responsive and very honest about his limits. He told me what he could do, but explained that his work on the garage door would only be a temporary fix. He advised that I talk to some garage door companies instead, which we did, and he was right. So I instead asked Joe to take a look at our doors, and he offered to come spend a few hours to fix every door in our house -- most of which have not latched correctly for years. He was very good about keeping in touch to schedule a time, he arrived promptly, and he did exactly what he said he would do.

QUOTE AND INITIAL CONTACT: Joe was excellent with communicating with us. He called quickly after I reached out to him, and showed up for an estimate on the next Saturday (the first we were available). He was meticulous with his estimating and even brought a molding catalog with him so that we could see the profiles that he was quoting. I was very impressed that he handed me his insurance, license and names and numbers of 5 references right after he entered our home. We did not have to ask him for this information. He returned a couple of days later with a very detailed, written quote and sat down with me and went over every detail. There was a slight mis-communication as both myself and my husband were supplying him with conflicting information, but he cleared it up smoothly. He explained the process to me of putting down a deposit for materials and was very honest that he had several other jobs waiting on materials and that if he started, he may have to interrupt my job. He wanted to wait until the other jobs were done before starting this one and I appreciated the candor. He started the job about a week after we sat down to go over the quote. TIMELINESS AND PROFESSIONALISM: Joe showed up exactly when he stated he would every time. Again, my husband and I gave him conflicting information which resulted in him waiting for us for half an hour and he was very gracious about it. He delivered the materials well in advance of the job so that he could start when we agreed. Joe is a consummate professional about his work. I am a very detail oriented person (some call me obsessive, ok, maybe) and I asked him a million questions. He was always gracious in responding to me, even when I knew I was delaying his work, sorry Joe! He put my mind at ease after the first day and I was able to continue working with no stress or anxiety that the job would be done right. QUALITY OF WORK: There is absolutely not a single complaint that we have for Joe's work, everything he did was executed with exquisite attention to detail, he is a true craftsman. I could not fit a piece of paper into his mitred joints. He coped all of the crown molding, something that only craftsmen do. He even caulked a great deal of the new molding work when we told him that it was unnecessary. The painters were remarking when they primed and painted his work that it was some of the best they have seen. Joe went the extra mile with everything he did: he took the old molding from the basement that was removed to install carpet and sanded and reused it to save us on material costs. The old molding was buried in a storage room at the time with the old nails still in it. He took the initiative to dig through all of the boxes in the room, remove the nails and sand the wood - all without being asked to do so. In fact, we were supposed to do that step ourselves and didn't have time, sorry Joe! We added the shadow box molding in the dining room to the original quote after he started. He was able to do that extra job for us without scheduling a new job, which we appreciated. Lastly, Joe fixed the strikeplate on our automatically locking front door on his own initiative, just because it didn't work. We had "fixed" it several times before but always it went back to sticking. Now, it works perfectly every time! RECOMMENDATION: Joe met the price from his original quote (with the addition of the extra work in situ) and under the time he had allowed. His prices were a good deal considering the quality of work he produced. We could have easily paid more and received lower quality work as some of our friends had done. We are already looking forward to having him return and build a 20 foot custom floor-to ceiling entertainment center. I will post pictures after the painting is complete. Thank you Joe!!!

I would recommend him to others. He was a nice guy. He was responsive. He got our trust quickly and did exactly what we asked him to do. His prices were reasonable.

I selected Joe Cox, based on his Angie's List reviews, to complete upgrades on a recently purchased single family home in Fairfax, VA. Joe was very quick to return my initial call and flexible in scheduling an on-site estimate. He was exactly on time for the appointment and was very thorough in asking me about my intended project. Within a day, he had provided me a detailed, written estimate. While working, he kept me updated and informed every step of the way. When finished, the work areas were spotless. The work was completed on time and the final cost was as estimated. The best word to describe Joe Cox is craftsman. His work is detailed and well planned. He radiates competence and expertise. I will be using Joe Cox again in the future for my other projects.

Everything went really well. He didn’t charge too much; I thought the price was reasonable for what he did.

It was a pleasure to work with Joe and we would highly recommend him. The drywall repair came out beautifully, as did the installation of the outlet box. After we primed and painted there is no indication that the drywall had ever been redone. He did the repair in stages over a few days to make sure we had the highest quality results. Joe's attention to detail made for great results. He also cut out the back of our specially ordered vanity to fit around the plumbing from the wall. It came out perfect. We were very happy with the entire experience and will definitely call him back for future jobs.

This guy is obviously very experienced, and fixed things that you would normally need a specialitst for. He is the best handyman I've had in 25 years. His demonstrated competence and reliability are so much better than anyone else's.

Joe did a great job. I?m very happy with the quality of his work and his responsiveness. Based solely upon my experience with Joe, I would use him again. However, my neighbor had a bad experience with Joe. I witnessed a heated dispute between Joe and my neighbor over the price of the materials. Later, my neighbor told me that Joe did not speak to her in a professional manner and that he overcharged her for the work. Joe told me that her charged my neighbor a premium price because the project involved a lot of dirty work. My neighbor had the opportunity to get other estimates, but she chose not to do so. Joe also stated that my neighbor tried to change the price of the contract after the work was already completed and paid for. Joe acknowledged that he got upset after she accused him of lying about the type/cost of materials that he used. With that said, I would be reluctant to hire Joe out of respect to my neighbor who is a good friend. It is less complicated to find another carpenter. If my neighbor wasn't an issue, I would probably hire Joe again. The moral of the story is that homeowners should always get more than 1 estimate and then make sure the contract clearly describes the type of materials expected to complete the work.

Joe was on time, helpful, efficient and entirely reliable. I had spent a small fortune having this bookcase custom made, and he was extremely careful with it as he did his work. He cleaned up behind himself and left everything in pristine condition. I would not hesitate to use him again.

I called Joe after reading positive reviews on Angies List and was not disappointed. Joe was courteous, punctual, professional, and quick--from first contact on the phone through the final point of the project. He provided helpful initial designs and was receptive to ideas from us, too. We would work with him again, without question.

Joe did a great job on the project. On the day that I initially called he came a gave a very competitive estimate. He was very punctual and professional, showing up on time and finishing the job at about in half a day. He has a great attention to detal; for example, the corner looks great. He was careful not to scuff the walls which we had just painted. We'll be using his services again in the future.

Excellent. First person to call when you have a home improvement project gone awry

Joe was very responsive. He arrived when he said he would. Joe kept his work area very tidy during the entire 2 week process. He also finished when he said he would. I would highly recommend Joe Cox construction. We plan to use his services again very soon.