Francis Wheeler Construction Inc

How does a renovation rookie, renovation phobic person?me?get high quality work done in less than a month?s time in an area where I don?t know any local work people? Hire AJ Wheeler, that?s how. AJ signed onto the renovation of our condo after I found him through Bryan Kennedy, a painter who gets high marks on Angie?s List. When Bryan came to evaluate just the painting job, I told him the long list of work I needed done, and did he know anyone? He said AJ Wheeler might be just the person.   
Three weeks later, the work is just about done, and it?s gorgeous. Here?s how it happened. When Bryan told me AJ had a few weeks? of available time, I immediately contacted him, and he got straight back to me. I sent him a detailed list of what I wanted done and asked him for a ballpark estimate, which seemed acceptable. (In my own line of work, I don?t do detailed budgets until clients are 75% committed. Otherwise I?d be doing nothing but proposals.)

AJ came over within a couple days to look over what needed. He gave me a detailed estimate once he knew I was committed to going ahead with him. I knew immediately I?d hire AJ. First, he?d answered my phone calls right away. He showed up right on time for our first meeting. He was business-like and told me how he would organize the job?who would arrive when and in what order. He?s a very strategic thinker. (The couple things I arranged on my own didn?t go as smoothly.)

AJ made it clear that for him to do the job on my timetable of a few weeks, I would need to get cracking, too. I would have to pick faucets, tiles, paints, countertops, etc. ahead of his people arriving. I agreed I would do this even though I?d rather go to the dentist than enter any kind of home renovation store, especially a big box store. I hired AJ right then and there without interviewing anyone else. He had all the qualities I value: strong work ethic, punctuality, business sense, common sense, fantastic carpentry skills, deep knowledge of construction. Did I mention he?s a great guy? Within days, I had a detailed contract in my hands with every step of every part of the job. I really appreciated that the payment schedule was in steps as specific jobs got completed. This meant if one of us wasn?t happy, we could part company. Brilliant! 

As soon as I signed the contract, AJ called me to make sure I was on the case so that all the supplies would arrive in time for him and his crew. Thank goodness he caught me at a kitchen and bath renovation place doing my ?homework.? Another one of his calls found me at the tile store. There was no dilly dallying with AJ. We had a partnership. As long as I had my selections made, he had his people there. He started exactly on the day he said he would start. He called me every morning and every afternoon to tell me what he was going to do that day then what he got done. He swept up every day even though it didn?t matter since we hadn?t moved in yet. He seemed to have a grasp of every screw, piece of wood, plumbing part that needed to be right there. I don?t know how he kept track of what he kept track of. I?m probably making him sound like a wise old man, but he?s a wise young man with a lot of years of work ahead of him.  

So I got everything I envisioned less than a month ago. Even more, I got to see someone in action who really knows what he?s doing and does it with pride. This is rare these days. I know workers in the construction trades have taken it on the chin during our downturn. I hope this review will put AJ right up there so that other people can get the benefit of all his know-how. It almost makes me wish I had a big house to fix up and not a small condo. My husband and I are thrilled with the work AJ did.