HOMEWORKS

Fantastic work.

See above

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Everything went well from start to finish. Doug removed the existing deck while we were on vacation, and began the new deck when we returned and the permit was approved. Significant progress was made each day, and anytime something came up Doug consulted with us. At the end of the project we reviewed together the few minor details that I wanted adjusted and Doug swiftly made the improvements as I requested with no additional cost. We are really happy with our new deck. We treated the deck ourselves with oil based deck stain from the Architect line of stains. What a job! I recommend getting someone else to do it!

It was a fine experience. I think the gentleman I met with is the owner and main carpenter. He does more decks and outside structural stuff than inside remodels so I got the feeling maybe he wasn't the right fit for the job. Other than that he seemed knowledgeable in that other realm.

Doug did a great job on the random finish-work projects in my kitchen and replacing the kitchen door. He had great ideas on how to solve some quirky challenges and I am very pleased with the results. When I need to redo my deck next year, Doug will be the first person I call!

I emailed Doug through Angies List, and I actually received a phone call back that same day. He was on time for his estimate appointment and provided what I thought to be a very reasonable quote for our small deck project. The actual build was tentatively scheduled for a few weeks out, and a few days prior to our tentatively scheduled date he called to confirm. Again for the final build he was on time. He got the job done in a matter of hours, and was very professional throughout the day. I had asked for the deck to be slightly larger than we discussed for the estimate, and Doug said it would be no problem. I was charged just $15 for the extra 6" added to the deck. Without hesitation I would use Doug again.

Summary in four words: On time, on budget. I emailed Doug for an estimate after seeing good reviews on Angie's List. He called me right away and scheduled a time to come out to look at my old cedar porch. He got back to me within a couple of days with an estimate. I changed my mind about what materials I wanted to use (first - composite, then cedar) and he suggested checking out Tigerwood, which I eventually did choose (this is a nice solid tropical hardwood, and pretty too). He was great about keeping in touch and letting me know his schedule and when he would be able to start work. Though this was not a huge job, I still felt he treated my project as important. He got the work done in a timely manner, in the budget we discussed, and cleaned up thoroughly. I would like to add that after the work was done, there were a couple of small items I had questions about -- Doug got back to me right away and also has made arrangements to come out again (I wanted extra pieces of wood in a couple of spots and he is going to also apply some sealer to the ends of the tigerwood planks). Even though he's already been paid and could easily take his time...he has continued to be available to answer questions and has been quick in responding to emails.

He responded to my e-mail request for information, was great about communicating on the phone, scheduling the job, and providing updates. He showed up when he said he would, and did the work that we discussed accurately and well.

On time and on budget.

My only parameters for adding the roof to the chicken coop were that it needed to be solid enough to hold snow, not too hot in the summer sun, not too expensive, and sturdy enough to last several years. I left the rest up to Doug, and he came up with a creative solution using treated and untreated lumber and corrugated roofing panels. At first I was a bit concerned about the proposed cost, but the result is a very solid and reasonably attractive roof that I believe will last a long time without me ever having to worry about it. Doug also put in a fence around our patio and suggested that we add a railing for the steps going up to our back door. The fence is really nice and very solid, and he figured out just the right solution to make it look right with our somewhat uneven patio of concrete pavers. But ultimately, I think the best part is going to be the thing we hadn't even considered: the railing. We didn't have one before, and now we're really grateful to have one on icy mornings. Doug was very prompt and responsive, and had the right mix of consulting with us on what we wanted and offering recommendations.

Doug and his assistant were total professionals: they were diligent and timely in their communication, and very explicit in what they thought was feasible for our budget. They also were very kind and courteous and were not stressful to have working around the house. I will hire Homeworks again for future projects.

Gave an accurate bid, communicated well along the way as to options and pricing varying from the original bid, and was diligent about leaving a clean job-site along the way. Even with a client who is a bit OCD about details (me) Doug was accommodating about correcting things i pointed out along the way happily. Overall, very happy with the results.

This was a superb experience from start to finish. Doug answered my first e-mail promptly and arrived on time (even a few minutes early) for our first meeting. I told him I needed the fence by August 13 (the date our puppy arrives), and all work was completed in two days (August 4 and 5), over a week ahead of our deadline. Doug offered me (at no charge) a different kind of used wire that he had, but I felt the poultry wire was more suitable. As the work progressed, Doug was able to solve any problems that arose: an area of concrete where we thought there was soil (he fashioned an L-shaped wooden corner to close off the area). On one side the existing fence was too unstable to support nails (it wobbled as he tried to drive the nails in), so Doug fashioned some wooden "braces" along this side to hold the fencing. The work is done, and I defy any dachshund (I know the breed), no matter how sly or stubborn, to find an opening. If ours should, Doug said to give him a call, and he will come and take care of it.

Doug gave a thoughtful assessment of the job and a prompt and reasonable bid. Work was done promptly and craftsmanship was excellent. Cleanup was thorough.

Went very well, considering it had been expected to be a much smaller job. We discussed the pros and cons of different treatment of the rail cap and the inner siding. We discussed the aesthetics as well as the practical aspects, such as cost, lengths the material comes in, what should be custom ripped rather than used at commercially available sizes. Most of the work was done on the balcony itself, as it was covered, large, and had electricity.

Everything went great! Doug obtained the exact composite materials we wanted and walked us through the project each day. Clean up was excellent. His craftsmanship and attention to detail matched his excellent knowledge and experience base.

I thought that he was really responsive. He got back to me right away and was really good about scheduling. He did a good job, and he was reasonably priced. We were just very pleased with the experience. The one thing that could've been better was if he would've cleaned up a little bit better, but overall it was a really good experience.

I had used Doug successfully in the past on small fix-it tasks so this was a large job for him. However, my basement remodel turned out beautifully, in a large part to Doug s commitment to the success of the project. He is an excellent communicator both in returning phones calls and emails. His rates are fair and his billing time is honest. One of his strongest traits is his willingness to listen to concerns and ideas and generate creative solutions. Throughout the multi-month job, Doug arrived when he said he would, he kept the job site clean, and he worked well with and around the other contractors.