RANDY L EMMITT REPAIRS & RENOVATIONS

Randy L. Emmitt Repairs and Renovations installed 2 pocket doors in our house. The cost was $2,200.
If you don't read the entire review below please read this: do not use this person's services.
After reading the good reviews Randy L. Emmitt Repairs and Renovations on Angie?s List I set-up an appointment and he came for an estimate. He seemed like a nice guy. We discussed what was needed. His price was high for the work. For example on many websites about $700 to install a pocket door (which is a little on the upper end) but considering the reviews
and since Randy has a long history of door repair I thought his work would be excellent. I couldn?t have been more wrong. We exchanged emails and since the doors had a ?T? junction w/another wall I emphasized that it was important that
they were installed w/heavy duty beams. Additionally, I emphasized that if the downstairs door had any support beams that they not do the job on that door.
He and his worker came to the house on the day we scheduled.  It turned out that Randy wasn?t going to be around for nearly all the entire first day even though the labor involved 2 people to do the job (again in writing). Also, his worker uses some pretty salty language but that was minor compared to what happened later.
First, it turns out that the downstairs door did have support (confirmed by a structural engineer) that they removed rather than
stopped the job. Randy agreed and I have it in writing where he states, ?If the one down stairs has any structural components to support the second floor, we'd be best to close it up and not do it?? It turns out that the downstairs door did indeed have structural components holding up the stairs and they knew that because I asked his worker. They did the work anyway. 
Second, they installed cabinet wood for the joints when we had agreed on Sept. 17 and he said (in writing) that he would replace ?the wall stud tees with a steel reinforced 1 x 8 to attach to the other wall.?? But when I asked him if he had done this (he told me, ?no?). Randy told me later that instead he used wood he had just ?laying around his garage.?
Now, we already have a hairline crack in the upstairs drywall where the drywall had a junction and we have to have a pier put in our crawlspace due to the way they installed the downstairs door due to them removing the support beams and putting the weight over a non-load bearing part of our floor.
But it gets even better ? they didn?t do much as far as clean-up is concerned, until they left on the 3rd day. They set up
their tools in the front yard, which doesn?t help when you?re trying to grow grass and did all their cutting there (that I had to rake out of the yard later). I had to vacuum each day after they left. After the second day we noticed that the paint on the doors and walls was dripping in places and that the drywall wasn?t even smooth: A mediocre job at best. And they had cracked an
upstairs bathroom tile ? and of course never told me until I noticed it later.
Since this has occurred I?ve contacted Randy and told him I believe he did a subpar job and owes me money. He refused to acknowledge that. I also sent him the structural engineering report (performed after Randy did his work)
showing that their work had caused structural problems to our house and that we now need a pier. He refused to do anything other than come over and have me pay him more money to install the pier. Our home is a Drees home built in 2002 that
had no structural problems ? home inspection and engineering reports done 4 years ago showing this. So now we have major problems due to Randy?s shoddy work and what I?ve also found is that he?s dishonest. Additionally, why would I
want such a person to do any additional work at my house? Stay away from his person/handyman. I want him to refund me $400 and pay for the engineering report as well as the pier that we will have to have installed.

Randy and his crew did a great job. Professional, friendly, punctual. The deck turned out great!

They were both very professional. Alan was there all day, Randy on and off. Did a great job. Glad to have the work done, and done well.

Randy was fantastic to work with!

• - Very easy to schedule an appointment and Randy showed up on time.
• - Received estimate within 24 hours for exactly the scope of work we discussed.
• - Work started promptly on scheduled date.
• - Randy works with one or two others who are also very professional and capable.
• - Work is TOP NOTCH. No corners are cut and he pays attention to every detail.  His construction is very solid.  Better design than other estimates we received.  Good sized footers; 6 x 6 posts instead of 4 x4; boards run away from the house to promote proper drainage and this means that boards run the length of the deck so there are no seams!
• - Work area is kept neat and clean.
• - Good communication with us throughout the construction process.
• - Although price was higher than some other estimates, it was clear from his construction design and work product that it is worth every penny.  If you want a well built deck, this is the way to go.
• - Would definitely hire Randy again!

the property whad been heavily dammaged by water and also in need of modernization.  He did the planning, water repair and reconstruction with great flair and understanding of the property and it's owner.

Excellent! I have used Randy's services several times. He does excellent work, is very trustworthy, and very neat. No mess to clean up after him.

Randy was terrific. He spread the work over two days and brought a helper for one of the days.  They were on time and completed the work to our satisfaction. They protected surfaces in our home and cleaned up very well.  While installing the new hardware on the cabinets he took it upon himself to also tighten the hinges, which we appreciated. To me, that is a sign of someone who cares about their work. Randy was very clear at the outset about what tasks he could and could not do (or was not interested in doing) so the projects proceeded without any misunderstanding. 

Randy was great! He gave me a very reasonable estimate and got me on his calendar right away. He installed a pocket door and when we needed the electrical work moved he got an electrician in right away to stay on track with the time frame. He was a perfectionist and did very good quality work. I had damage to my sheetrock from movers and he fixed everything to look like new. I had a bathroom door that was just awkward, he installed split doors that look elegant and was a great solution to the problem.

Very well.  He is responsive and detailed oriented with his work.  I think he strives to  ensure his clients are happy with his work.

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It went very well.  He is a very nice, conscientious guy.  He made several suggestions along the way of how we could do things differently and save money.  He really does look out for you.  I highly recommend.

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Randy was great. We did it by the actual job so it wasn't on time but it was a $3,000+ job. I thought he did all that he said he was going to do. We've since had some problems but I don't believe it was with his work necessarily as much as it might have been with the quality of some of the materials. I would use them again.

I am very experienced in carpentry and construction, having worked as a shipwright and designed and contracted my own home, doing most of the finish work myself.  For this reason I feel that I'm particularly well qualified to assess carpentry work.
After using Angie's List to obtain a list of prospective carpenters for this job I ultimately interviewed seven.   The pricing among these seven was surprisingly wide with Randy being on the low end of the range.   This, along with his strong reviews and flexible attitude led me to choose him for the job.
I found him to be reliable and do high quality work.
In my experience the construction trades are rife with those who are marginally skilled and many who are both unreliable and will try and take advantage of an unknowledgeable consumer.
One of Randy's strengths is what I believe to be an 'honest character' in that he seems to operate from the principal that if you treat him fairly, he'll do likewise.
My usual practice when working with tradesmen is to always have a very detailed contract and never pay before the job has been fully completed.  In this job with Randy he did not offer any form of contract and although I sent him my version of a contract before he arrived, he said that he'd been having e-mail problems and didn't have the document.  In this case it worked out fine, but I'd advise fellow 'Angie's Listers' that it's never a good idea to let anyone begin a job without a detailed and signed contract.   A little bit of documentary work at the beginning can serve to avoid a good deal of trouble later.
The attached photos show how things looked at the beginning and then Randy working, the finished job and finally how it looks now that I have painted it.

Provider arrived to give a estimate and was very courteous.  He gave a lot of detail of the work to be performed.  He made a recommendation for a person to reinforce my island cabinet ( I will name Mr. P)   as he did not feel comfortable to do it.  I contacted Mr.P to come for an estimate stating the provider will be here on July 17th.  Mr. P who stated he has worked with the provider before will meet with him at my driveway before they come in. Both arrived and the provider began installing the rail.  Mr. P began removing the counter and continued to ask for the provider's tools and assistance.  Finally, just before Mr. P began putting holes in the wall, I had to stop him and tell him we had no contract.  I needed an estimate. He stated a price per hour and continued to work without slowing down.  I asked him what was his estimated cost to finish the job and once he told me it was accepted. At no time did the provider who has worked with Mr. P for 5 years intervened but rather assisted him in the use of tools and labor.  I was not comfortable in the situation that one had an agreement, the other did not and at no time did the provider caution his 'reference'. At the end of the job, I paid the provider. The provider did not have the correct door and would come back the following Tuesday. Mr. P would also come out to finish the cabinet.  Later while the provider was packing away the equipment, Mr. P who did not bring any stated he would finish tomorrow, July 18th, 2013.  I asked in front of the provider what is the cost for the job. Mr. P stated that it was $200 and preferred it in cash -did not wish to report it. I requested a receipt. All was accepted. The following day, Mr. P finished the job but instead of charging $200, he changed his price to $220.   He took the cash but said I could pay him $20 in a check.  Once he left, I wrote to the provider and relayed what transpired but to no response.  Finally, I cancelled all pending jobs.  It was then that I received a kind response but no mention of Mr. P.  My concerns were the naming of Mr. P as a reference who began work prior to an agreement and expected to be paid with the help of the provider,  heard the conversation of Mr. P and I who had to be stopped from putting several holes in the wall, and why was Mr. P given as a reference if he knew or should have known his work ethics. I was uncomfortable with Mr. P setting up work without approval and receiving help from the provider while both were in my home.   The provider was good.    I just felt that both worked together and at the end Mr. P alters his cost.  The provider was made aware of the facts and did not seem to be concerned. I would use the provider in the future but not the recommendations given.  Both knew each other for years and claimed to work together on jobs. I still am unclear what the discussion was at the end of my driveway before the job began as both stated they came to a decision when I asked.

Randy was an excellent resource for me!  He exceeded all expectations and really owned the project (including interfacing with other contractors).  I had to be out of town for much of the service and he took care of things while I was away, working independently.  Highly recommended.

Randy was professional, responsive, friendly, and did a great job.  He knows how to do so many things.  We will be calling on him frequently.

Fabulous.Very careful worker, cares about the quality of his work.Fair prices, keeps to a timetable, doesn't promise things he cannot deliver in terms of timelines.I would not hesitate to hire him again.

Randy is helpful, open to ideas, and forthcoming with his own ideas.  He is reliable and very reasonably priced.  This was the most recent job Randy has performed for me.  Randy is a pleasure to work with and I am always satisfied.

Randy is a very likable, knowledgeable guy who seems to be very trustworthy and dependable. He took pride in making sure that everything was finished properly and to our satisfaction. It seems that he can do just about anything around a house. We were going to have him back this spring to repair our deck (or build a new one) but we decided to wait another year. We will also be having him back to repair the whole kitchen ceiling due to water damage from a shower above. I wouldn't be hesitant whatsoever to recommend Randy for almost anything to do with a house.

Randy was recommended by the architect who drew up plans for a screen porch on our back deck.  He quoted a bid for the work and came in right on target and right on time.  He did excellent quality work - both aesthetically and structurally (eg, he added an extra beam under the porch for structural integrity not required by inspectors).  He used a few subs and they were good too.  He cleaned up when he was done and he was easy to work with and congenial - even the neighbors liked him!

a little long in the process what with the weather and all, but a really super job by a really super to work with handyman

Everything was done well. They did what they said they would do, and on time. I would use them again in the future if necessary.

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