Handy Dudes Home Improvement

I was recovering in the hospital from surgery and decided to have my son contact Bill to do some remodeling work while I was out. When I arrived home, I found many problems with the work. They painted over some stripping (paper or tape) in the bathroom and the surface is now rigid and not smooth. He had his son come over and do some painting during the work, very unprofessional. I now have a bathroom with a discolored spot on the wall that does not match the rest of the paint. He came back out and confirmed that it did need to be repainted. His son came back out with a spray can to fix the problem. The paint did not match after it dried. Bill came back out and said the entire bathroom would need to repainted. The pipes under the sink leak and the dishwasher was installed incorrectly. I even had to leave a pot under the sink to catch the linking water. He is now ignoring my calls (called main and cell number numerous times) and will not answer any communications. For the price I paid, I should have received a much higher quality of work.

At first, we had no issues with Bill and his apprentice/son. They showed up on time and seemed to have a plan on how to address the issue after removing the drywall inside. The first day of work, they pulled up boards on my deck, installed some flashing, and considered the leak as solved and mentioned they'd be back to do the interior frame and drywall work another day. As soon as they re-laid the deck boards and left, I poured a pitcher of water over the affected area and immediately saw the water find a way in. It was surprising because I would've thought they would have tested this themselves. I called to explain and scheduled another appointment and when they came out, he put tar into the affected area, tested, and still the water was finding a way in. I asked if perhaps a spray-foam solution might prove effective and he said they could come back and try that - which he did. After using the can of spray, he said it would need time to expand and set before testing. He came back the next day, told my wife the test held up, and put in insulation and the drywall. He came back one more time to mud the drywall and sand and at that point we paid the fee in full. Not two days later it rained and we saw water trickling in. I immediately emailed him to explain my frustration because he had said the test held up. He called back stating he would come out and try another can of foam from the outside and that we didn't need to be home for it. We've since had several more rain storms and each time, the water finds a way in. I last spoke to Bill just before the New Year and he claimed that he felt that he gave his best effort to fix the issue based on the price we paid. I disagreed and wondered why extensive testing wasn't done before hanging the new drywall and closing it off. He said he had another project he was on but could come back out and maybe reassess after that. Since that conversation I've sent three emails and left three voicemails and Bill has not responded at all. I understand there is a market for labor hours and he did put in hours, but at the same time he told us the issue was solved without even properly testing it out. Most of the labor hours came from hanging the drywall, mudding, and sanding - all of which he did AFTER he stated that the leak was fixed. By paying him in full, we trusted that he had done the due diligence of testing and considered the issue as resolved and had even discussed having him back out to paint the whole basement. But the issue is very clearly not solved. So in essence, we paid Bill nearly $1,800 and we are in the exact same position as we were before contacting him, except that now our basement has a an unpainted piece of drywall with a light switch hanging out. Tell me how that is fair...

I called him to discuss the project. I thought his response was flippant and he made it seem like my problem wasn't important. It's a serious problem, and I need to find someone that will take it seriously and treat it with professionalism. I originally left him a message and he didn't call me back. I think he didn't do that because he wasn't interested in the project. That just doesn't demonstrate integrity to me. It wasn't professional at all.

Overall Bill did a good job with my work, however I had some issues with quality of work. Foyer entry - The travertine floor tile he laid in the foyer was uneven in spots with a few tile corners protruding 1/8" - 1/4" above the surface of the adjacent tiles. He said this was due to the sub-flooring being uneven and there wasn't anything he could do about it at this point. However after he left the job I brought in a tile setter and he said yes the sub-flooring may be uneven however you are supposed to check for level before setting the tile. If the floor is uneven you are supposed to pour a leveler and level the low and high spots first. Once that dries and the floor is even, then you set the tiles. Because the new tile was already installed and I didn't want to rip up what Bill had done, I had to hire someone else to come in and grind the tile down level. The foyer looks great and overall I am happy with Bill's work but I do wish he had leveled the floor before setting the tile. Powder room - The tile he installed on the bathroom wall was done ok, however he left too large of holes around the toilet plumbing and one of the faucet valves rough openings and after the toilet and faucet was installed you could see the missing tiles. Despite requesting for him to fix, he never installed these missing pieces and I had to have the tile installer who is now doing my master bathroom install these missing tiles. Overall I am happy with Bill's work however I wish he would have addressed these missing tiles before leaving my job. Front door - Bill helped me measure and install a new front door. This front door isn't your average door, it's a very large and heavy stainless steel entry door with side lights. Before getting involved in the project I showed Bill the door drawings and asked him if he was up for the job of installing it - he assured me he knew how to do this so we proceeded. Once the door arrived Bill's first attempt at installing the door was not very good. The door was out of square and as a result the door did not seal properly. Also, as a result of the door not being square during installation, he cut the aluminum threshold about an inch too short and I had to order a new one from the manufacturer which cost me an additional $150. When I told Bill I was going to withhold $150 from one of his payments to cover my cost for a new threshold he squawked and said he shouldn't have to eat that cost. After I reached out to the manufacturer for some installation tips, I asked BIll to redo the installation which he did (and wanted me to pay for it which I did). The 2nd time round was much better however it was still done incorrectly because the interior stainless door frame was supposed to protrude beyond the drywall about a 1/2" and serve as a self-trimmed casing. Instead he mounted it flush with the drywall and I had to hire another contractor to come in and trim it out with wood casing which hides the beautiful stainless steel door frame. He said he couldn't move the door inside any further because the tile was in the way (the new tile that he had just laid). Not the end of the world, but definitely not the way it was supposed to be installed. Overall the door looks great and I get compliments on it all the time, however with the money I spent on the door I wish it had been installed the way it was intended to be installed. Lastly, It should be noted that Bill did some extra work for me that was not included in the original scope of work. I paid him additionally for this work and he was very accommodating and the quality of this work was very good. This included working with my fireplace stone mason to install a large fireplace mantle, installing a new wood floor for bar cabinets in my family room, removing two columns that flanked either side of the entrance to the dining room from the foyer.

Had new can lights installed in family, and the holes from the former lights that were taken out had to be repaired, as well as the small holes made by the electrician to route the wiring for new lights. While scheduling wasn't too bad and he was punctual on the date of service, the work performed was iffy at best. The patches from the old lights were never really leveled with the existing ceiling very well, and the locations are very visible on the ceiling. Should have done a better job of leveling the fill materials and spreading the mud.

I don't think my husband was really satisfied with them. He was messy. I believe there were additional charges beyond the big deal amount but I don't remember what it was. My husband would know and he's not here right now. I don't think that he thought that the price was too high or whatever we were charged extra was that outrageous. It's just that he did not do well with cleaning up after himself. I believe he was punctual.

He is very pleasant and professional.

We liked this company. Out of all of the people we called, he was quick to respond and did not keep rescheduling. He also quickly updated us with the services he provided. We would use them again due to the reliability. I gave him a "C" on pricing because he was a little pricey; however, we took the price over the stress we were going through with trying to find a reliable, professional, punctual worker. Plus, he is from Mokena and we had him do work in our Oak Forest house. I'm passing his info. along.

Bill is a great guy, very down to earth and accommodating. He shows up when he says he will. He doesn't make me wait a week. His work is excellent, and so is his communication. Thank God for Angies list because I have had nothing but good experiences since using this service to find contractors for work.

Bill did an excellent job at a fair price. I messaged him through Angie's List and received a quick response. He came out and gave me a price, which we agreed on, and he was able to do the work the same day. Bill is professional, courteous and knowledgeable. I had a list of items that needed to be completed including kitchen faucet replacement, front door weather stripping, bathroom exhaust fan replacement and gutter cleaning. Bill was able to fix all. I plan on having him come back to install a garbage disposal and fix some kitchen cabinet doors.

This is the second time we use Bill and couldn't have been happier. We were moving and had a very short time frame to get the house ready to sell. To make matters more difficult, I was working out of state with my wife handling the selling of the house. I called Bill on a Monday morning and within 30 mins he had called my wife and scheduled a time to come in a look at what needed to be done. The work was scheduled and finished before the end of the week which was a huge relief.

He is good and so is his professionalism. He is friendly, responsive and has fair pricing.

It went great Bill came out and took down the large screen house and took it away. He also built a wood frame to be inside of the new screen house to make sure it didn't move. After he built the wood frame he put the new screen house around the wooden frame. He put on the removable roof and tightned everything up.

i aske dhim to come out and give me an estimate on a 10 foot oak railing installation and i said that I needed some other electrical repairs done also. The price quoted for therailing was 21/2 times higher than my next qoute. And the electrical repair was at 68.00 dollars an hour. too rich for my blood.

Mr. Murray arrived one morning to access the dry wall damages. We also had a dry wall area needing to be patched due to a break in the wall to fix a foundation crack. Mr. Murray carefully measured and left with a promise to call in a day or so. He actually called about an hour after he left. He said he stopped for a cup of coffee and started figuring out the materials he would need for the job and thought he might get started that same afternoon. I was delighted. He arrived back at the house that day and worked more than half a day. During the dry wall installation there was hardly any dust due to Mr. Murray's careful clean up. He also made sure to cover the computer with a heavy tarp. The dry wall turned out to be perfect. Mr. Murray then started working on the sump pump back up. Once he decided on a back-up system, he discussed it with us and we agreed. The back up has yet to be tested but I am sure it will perform. We are also planning on having Mr. Murray repair our back patio doors. With his eye for perfection, how could we go wrong!!

He was great, we would use him again! He was punctual, and he didn't treat the job differently because it was a coupon.

We needed help in repairing our staircase. Bill came out to look at what needed to be done. He talked to my husband about the staircase and other small projects we might also be interested in. However, after he left, we never received a follow-up, or a quote/estimate. We were disappointed, especially because he was referred to us. Ultimately, we did find someone else through Angie's List who came out, sent us a quote right away, and did the work.

I had to cut out some portions of drywall in my basement to fix a foundation leak. Cutting out the drywall was easy, repairing the drywall is not. Bill was always on time, did a very good job at a great price. He had to come back to finish so I simply purchased another $99 coupon for 4 hours. He cleaned up nicely, which made my wife happy. He's on my list on vendors to use again in the future.

Bill came out to help with an electrical problem that had been bugging me for a long time. He arrived quickly, as scheduled, and figured out an option that hadn't occurred to me before. The price was quite reasonable and the work well done. He didn't even mind that I watched him as he worked. I'll be sure to call him again if I need some help.

Bill was professional in both appearance and workmanship. He arrived promptly, worked steadily, and was focused on getting the job done. He cleaned up the work areas , after each of the 2 days he worked . I would hire this company for another job, should the need arise. I felt that the service was dependable and the craftsman was competent in his job.

I had purchased a certificate for 4 hours of drywall repair for $99. I purchased the certificate originally to have a corner bead on the stairwell redone. When I called to schedule, I discussed other potential work I may need done. Bill arrived promptly at our appointment time. I had made a list of potential projects that I needed done and went over the list to see what he could and could not do that day. He started on the corner bead. He laid out tarps all along the stairs and the hallway floor. He removed the handrail. He ripped out the old corner bead and put a new one in. He filled in other dings in the walls around the house. While the compound was drying, he went over the list to see what else he could repair. He replaced a broken smoke detector (had to rewire a new model since the old model is no longer made). He placed brackets over laminate flooring and rehung closet bi-fold doors. He then went back and sanded all the repairs to the drywall. He put in new anchors and reattached the handrail. He cleaned and vacuumed up any mess that was made. We then discussed other items on the list, went over price and supplies, and made another appointment for him to come back.

Purchased a "4 hours of drywall repair" in December from an Angie's List offering for $100. Called Bill the first of March and he showed up the next day (thought it odd he wasn't booked). I felt I had about 3 hours work since there was only the following: 1)floor to ceiling corner to retape and mud; 2)two ceiling down for 30 inches cracks (one corner, one over a window) to tape and mud: 3) two horizontal cracks, each about 35 inches long to tape and mud and 4) two vertical cracks about 30 inches long under new windows we had installed. He showed up at 9:00 and I figured he'd be done by 1:00 for sure. But he wasn't. I had to run an errand (my wife was home by then), so I talked to him about finishing. He said he'd clean up, apply another coat of mud in places and finish the job. I didn't ask how long - big mistake. I left a little after 1 and returned at 4:50pm. He was still there! It's like he planned to make it his life's work. He had quoted $50 an hour for any time over 4 hours. I had mentally given him an extra hour after I left to clean up and go. At 5:00, I asked how long, and he wanted another half-hour. We settled on three extra hours, so I paid him another $150 and he left. I was working on another part of the house, so didn't get to the sun room until today (3/19) and started sanding. He had put pencil marks where I was going to have to sand and smooth down some imperfections (after 7 hours). The entire floor to ceiling corner is a mess. There's ridges of mud in the crack of the corner that I had to sand down and then smooth out. Same situation with the other corner joint. That was too much. After seven hours for what should have been a three hour job at max, I felt I needed to write a negative report.

We responded to an Angie's List promotion for 4 hours of drywall repair for $99. We purchased two 'packages', both of which were to be provided by this company. My husband contacted the company to request a date for review of the work area(s). We waited several days for a return call or email. After not hearing from the company at all, my husband called again and managed to get a date to receive an estimate. The agreed upon time/date came and went. We ended up contacting the company again only to be told that "they forgot". We decided to give a second chance as it was just after the holidays and everything was still pretty busy for everybody. Finally managed to get an estimate but then were told to expect a call soon with a date for the actual repair. No call. We called to follow up and didn't receive a return call. Ended up canceling service request altogether. Very disappointing considering the other ratings.

Bill removed the pressure treated boards and side rails of the deck. He then removed the water damaged/rotting boards beneath. He salvaged a good portion of the upper deck ... but had to replace some of the boards and a few of the posts. The posts had been personally designed, so he had to create these to match the existing ones. He supported the deck with 16" centers ... a much better support than we had prior to this rebuild. Then he replaced the deck boards and side rails. In addition he added an additional support for the attached stairs. Bill comes highly recommended by us. We have had him do several jobs at our home, and we are always very pleased with his work.

Upon beginning a painting project, my husband's shoulder was giving out on him and he could not continue painting the ceilings. We called Bill [who had remodeled both our bathrooms] in the evening to see if he might be available to help. He was able to come the next day to paint the ceilings and the foyer ... applying two coats. He helped even further by painting several of the wall surfaces. We were very appreciative of his help and kindness.