Nola Construction & Handymen LLC
About us
A reliable New Orleans handyman is like a friend who helps you with all sorts of small tasks and odd jobs. You realize how helpful your local New Orleans handyman can be when you have a job that you might not be able to complete as a quick and simple do-it-yourself project, but it may be too small to hire a contractor. A handyman is a person who can help you with all kinds of jobs, from the renovation of a room to helping with household repairs. They are proficient in multiple jobs such as painting your house, solving minor plumbing and electrical issues, installing and repairing drywall, and taking care of your landscape. There are also some handymen who offer house-sitting services for people who want skilled caretakers to watch over their property. A local New Orleans handyman can help you with your smallest tasks. They can help you complete your DIY jobs too. A New Orleans handyman holds experience and shows commitment for every type of job. He is often called a ‘Jack of all trades’. A handyman can complete any job with great expertise. He is a creative person, proficient in many areas and he can effectively tackle a wide variety of jobs with a fair degree of complexity. Ed Desobry started in the construction business when he was 12 years old painting his grandmothers house that summer. The years following his grandmother, neighbors and many others kept Ed busy through high school and college. After receiving his degree in construction at LSU, Ed went on in the field working for others before starting his own company in 1999. He hasn't looked back since and has been servicing the new Orleans and Louisiana markets ever since.
Business highlights
Services we offer
Handyman, doors, install baseboard and shelving & small remodeling., windows
Amenities
Free Estimates
Yes
Accepted Payment Methods
- CreditCard
| Number of Stars | Image of Distribution | Number of Ratings |
|---|---|---|
| 85% | ||
| 8% | ||
| 0% | ||
| 8% | ||
| 0% |
Do the math: 8 man hours + materials = $749.00 Since this included a two-hour "deal" from Angie's List (supposedly valued at $95), the actual price would have been $775.
Pretty high hourly rate for a "handyman," but Mr. Desobry is, of course, really acting as a contractor and, even as such, his prices are way high. (A retired contractor I know told me what I got was worth about $500. Stupid me: I should have called him first.)
Yes, this is my fault. I had no idea how long this job would take and when we met Mr. Desobry, he seemed to know what he was doing and inspired confidence. I assumed this was at least a 2-day job and accepted his estimate, which I thought was based on a $45-50 hourly rate (based on the deceptive "Bid Deal"pricing). Desobry had good reviews (though, in retrospect, they had very little detail), and I foolishly thought he would be involved in the work. And I didn't get another estimate.
Angie's List "Big Deal": to this, I say, very sarcastically--"big deal." I initially wanted to apply the "deal" to the porch job, but when Desobry came by, I showed him a couple of loose bricks in my steps and he said they could fix those and he'd include that in the job. It turns out that what I got for my $69 "deal" (supposedly two hours of work valued at $95) was some mortar shoved under the bricks on top of the old so the bricks stick up and out (wish I could include a picture), a job that took 15-20 minutes tops.
The other thing that really galled me: when Desobry showed up to look at my porch, I told him I thought some rotten boards needed replacing. He assured me that they weren't rotten, they just needed to be "nailed down." Initially I thought the porch looked pretty good, but soon after the porch was painted, the boards I thought were rotten are still soft and cracks have appeared in most of the freshly painted boards, so I sent Desobry more photos. His exact response:
"The porch boards because have been left up painted for a while have started to dry rot leaving the wood as you see it. I think you painted it in time but I would keep and eye on it. Not much we can do at this point. Perhaps a third coat may help. If we have the paint left over I would only charge you $50."
So now, after the job was completed as prescribed by Desobry, it turns out the boards ARE rotted, he say, and "not much we can do." And, no thanks, Mr. Desobry, but since I can apply a third coat myself in less than a half hour, I think I'll keep my $50. (Unbelievable that he thinks I would pay him even more!)
On responsiveness: Initial response was slow, but he apologized when we met, citing all the AL deals. I said I was OK with that. While he has replied to my e-mails, he's not really responsive: To my complaints about how much per hour he charged me, all he said was "I try and be fair with the pricing." He won't address the ludicrous "big deal" or explain how pushing mortar around two bricks was the equivalent of a two-hour job. And now he blames the rotted boards that HE told me were NOT rotted for the problems with the newly painted porch, which he warns me to "keep an eye on." When I pointed out in my last e-mail that HE told me those boards weren't rotted and didn't need to be replaced, he ignored that, replying only that he'd have one of his people contact me for payment.
I'm disgusted.
"I apologize that you did not have a pleasant experience with our company. I came out to your house to look at the work that you wanted an estimate on. I sent you an estimate. You at agreed on the price and to do the work that was on the estimate. I schedule my technician to perform the work and we completed the work that was agreed upon by you. Again I am truly sorry that after we finished the work that you thought that the price was to high."
Licensing
State Contractor License Requirements
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