Get matched with top home warranty providers in Colchester, CT

"It took a lot of phone tag to finally get the technician to our house, but once here he was efficient and professional and did an amazing job. The chip was in the edge of a white quartz countertop, very difficult to match perfectly, and the repair is absolutely invisible. Not the lowest bid, but worth the price."

"INITIAL DISCUSSIONS (FEBRUARY 22, 2024) On February 22, 2024, my wife, emailed Keith from HandyWorks Design and Remodeling. Initially, we considered removing the flooring portion from our project in hopes of shortening the overall remodel timeline. However, after some deliberation, we decided to keep the tile floor replacement. This meant HandyWorks would handle both the demolition of the existing tile and the installation of new tile. We also inquired about potentially painting our kitchen cabinets, aiming for a start date around March 11. From the outset, it was important to us that any changes or updates to our home—especially in such a central space as the kitchen—be managed by professionals who communicated clearly and offered transparent pricing. PRICING & COMMUNICATION ISSUES (FEBRUARY 26–27, 2024) Shortly after our initial discussions, Keith sent over what he called a “line item overview,” which we hoped would break down the anticipated costs for labor, materials, and other associated tasks. Instead, it was essentially just a bulleted list of the tasks to be completed, with no detailed cost for each line. We had specifically requested an itemized quote because we wanted clarity on how the total price was determined, especially since we had been back and forth about including or excluding certain tasks (like re-flooring and repainting cabinets). Despite our repeated requests, that clarity never came. Around February 27, we informed Keith that we preferred a black composite sink to the stainless-steel option. We also asked for suggestions about fixtures and other components like grout colors, tile types, etc. Keith mentioned that his project manager, Sue, would provide guidance on these selections. However, when we asked Sue for specific help finding a black-finish faucet on Home Depot’s website (having already tried the website’s search filters ourselves), she simply suggested using those same filters. This response felt dismissive, as though no real consultation was being offered. TIMELINE DISCONNECT (FEBRUARY 28, 2024) By the end of February, we were trying to lock in a start date for the remodel. We proposed beginning around March 11 or 12, hoping everything could be completed within a week. Only at this point did Keith inform us that ordering and installing our chosen countertops came with a mandatory 10-business-day lead time. This single factor alone would require more than two weeks between measuring for the new countertops and their installation. From there, other tasks like the backsplash, sink, and faucet installations could only happen after the countertops were in place, meaning the overall kitchen project would extend to nearly three weeks. This was a significant change from our original timeframe and was something we felt should have been proactively communicated much earlier. CONTRACT & SCOPE OMISSIONS (MARCH 12–21, 2024) On March 12, I had an appointment scheduled with Keith but had to cancel last minute. I requested he send me the contract in a digital format so I could review it on my own time. Rather than sending it as requested, Keith asked me to propose a new date for another in-person meeting. While in-person discussions can be valuable, this approach meant further delays before we could examine the proposed contract details in writing. By March 15, we did meet and look over a contract draft together. Later that day, upon reviewing it more closely, my wife and I realized that the trashcan insert—something we had specifically requested to be added—was missing entirely. When we followed up around March 20–21, Keith apologized and said he had overlooked it. Yet, we still never saw a fully itemized breakdown of costs. Each time we asked, we were told the company’s estimating software didn’t produce that level of detail. TILE PROBLEMS (SPRING 2024–MAY 2025) Once the tile portion of the remodel actually began, we noticed multiple concerns. First, a portion of the new tiles were laid out of alignment, making the floor’s spacing appear inconsistent and visually disruptive. Two specific tiles also had grout lines nearly double the size of the others—a glaring difference that caught our eye (and, ultimately, our guests’ eyes) immediately. We communicated our concerns to Keith, who sent someone back a few weeks later to correct the problem. However, instead of a professional tiler, he assigned a finish carpenter to conduct the rework on those two tiles with the oversized grout lines. The lines remained too wide, and the aesthetic was still off. It wasn’t until May 2025—over a year later—that these problem tiles were reinstalled once more. I had asked Keith to be present for quality assurance, but he never arrived. Compounding the tile issues was the discovery that our kitchen floor, common in a 100-year-old home, wasn’t perfectly level. Rather than consulting with us about a strategy to address it, the tiler (at Keith’s direction) used several inches of floor leveler. This created a stark, raised transition between the kitchen and adjacent rooms—something we had never discussed or approved. Keith then attempted to classify this as a “change order” and bill us extra. We refused to pay for an unapproved procedure. Keith promised to remove this additional charge, but when we received the final invoice later, it was still there. COUNTERTOP & BACKSPLASH ISSUES (FEBRUARY–MAY 2025) By early 2025, we realized the new countertop was not lying flat. Small objects placed near the edge would roll right off, showing a clear tilt. As the weeks passed, the corner above our dishwasher sagged enough that a visible gap formed between the stone and the backsplash, revealing poorly supported stonework. In May 2025, Keith added a bracket at the end of the countertop as an after-the-fact fix, conceding that it should have been installed from the start. The kitchen backsplash presented another frustration. We’d chosen a carefully patterned grey-and-white marble tile and expected consistent color blocks at the edge. Without checking with us, his crew changed that final row of white tile to grey. When I questioned Keith about it, he offered a vague excuse claiming the white pieces were “too small” to cut, which wasn’t accurate. Even if that were true, the unilateral decision to switch colors deviated from our chosen pattern. It felt as though he hoped we simply wouldn’t notice. OTHER UNPROFESSIONAL & DISAPPOINTING INCIDENTS During the contract signing, Keith suddenly steered our conversation toward (then-candidate) Donald Trump, talking about politics at length. I found this both irrelevant and unsettling. Still, I moved forward, trusting his prior reviews would reflect reliable workmanship and service. On another occasion, his team cut the quartz countertop outdoors while our windows were open; fine dust filled our downstairs, covering surfaces with quartz residue. Keith gave us $200 to offset cleaning costs, but that was hardly the point. One worker also smoked in our backyard even though we’d specifically told Keith no one was allowed to smoke on our property. This request was disregarded multiple times, leaving us feeling our privacy and comfort were not respected. FINAL INVOICE DISCREPANCY (SEPTEMBER 2024) In September 2024, Keith finally apologized for forgetting to remove the disputed floor-leveler charge from our invoice. While he acknowledged his error, the oversight vividly demonstrated the sloppy administrative approach that had plagued our project—especially regarding details or extra charges. Given all the delays, subpar fixes, and unapproved actions (like the floor leveling), we asked Keith for a partial refund of about 10%. In March 2025, he agreed verbally to send a check. But on every subsequent occasion I tried to revisit that agreement, he deflected. As of now, we’ve never received the promised compensation. BBB complaint pends."

"I had a bad computer board in my oven. they said they would not cover it because they found a roach. This is Florida we have some roaches. i do not have a bug problem. It has nothing to do with a bad computer board. This company looks for a way to deny claims. i had one other claim and they tried to deny it as well. Save yourself some agravation and stay away. They must post their own positive reviews. They took my $65.00 fee and did nothing"

"I contracted the services of this company with the total coverage plan for my air conditioning and appliances, I did not see the real reviews before contracting and for two years I was paying on time and they don't want fixed my AC. Just said that I get $500.00 and that I fixed it by myself. It's the worts company."

"The person performing the service had to make several trips because one of the "new" parts turned out to be faulty. I found both Complete Protection and their local repair contractor to be both very responsive and totally professional at every stage of the repair process."