Default business cover photo
Approved Pro
Approved Pro

Jim Yaratz III

Addition to Existing Structure Building Service, Major Renovation Multiple Room Service,

About us

Jim Yaratz Custom Carpentry has been in business since 1988, but their tradition of putting the customer first goes back generations. Owner Jim Yaratz has been working in this industry, side by side with his Dad, since he was old enough to hold a hammer. He learned by example to abide by the virtues of honesty, hard work, and the value of old-fashioned craftsmanship. We strive for quality, and we make sure the customer comes first. You can count on attention to every detail of your home. Jim works with you every step of the way, and willingly answers all questions. He personally works on every project and focuses on just one job at a time so you get his full attention. If you care about quality, durability, and a fair price, look to Jim Yaratz for all your remodeling and home improvement needs. We look forward to working with you! Sincerely--Jim Yaratz

Business highlights

37 years of experience

Services we offer

We have over twenty years experience in the trades.We specilize in additions and home remodling as well custom kitchens. You can see kitchen work at our web site --mastercraftkitchendesigner.com---which iwe have teamed up with to provide quality custom work.

Amenities

Free Estimates

Yes

Warranties

Yes

Reviews
4.122 Reviews
Number of StarsImage of DistributionNumber of Ratings
5
50%
4
5%
3
0%
2
5%
1
9%

Filter reviews by service

Showing 1-22 of 22 reviews
Eileen P.
Oct 2024
5.0
Addition to Existing Structure Building Service
Yes, I recommend this pro
Jim and crew are reliable and knowledgeable. I agree with all that Dana C in Kensington shared. We hired Jim to close in a carport for an addition by seeing the work he was completing for Dana. I then had him remodel an old garage that needed a face lift. We now have Jim building a ranch home for us from the ground up. It is going just as well. If only the prices due to the economy were not so disappointing. Materials are through the roof as a result. Here hoping for some REAL change in 2025 !!!!

Dana C.
Feb 2024
5.0
Addition to Existing Structure Building Service
Yes, I recommend this pro
After having numerous contractors not show up to bid or throwing ridiculous quotes our way, we were fed up. I decided to reach out and try Angi. Jim's name popped up, I decided to give it one more shot. We are so happy that we did. Jim was super responsive and came right out to the site. His experience showed immediately. We weren't sure if we wanted to do new construction, a Barn conversion or an addition. Didn't matter to Jim. He was able to quote all variations on the spot! Unheard of with other contractors. We hired him to do a 20x24 family room addition with a full foundation, replace all the existing windows and doors along with new siding and trim for the whole house and addition. His contract was concise with price breakdowns of all phases. He never wavered from his quote or promised timing. His crew consists of family and long time friends. They have tons of experience and it shows in the quality and speediness of their work. I'm still amazed at the precision of the framing. Being an Engineer and machinist, I can really appreciate accuracy. He handled a few change orders with the same integrity. The final project is beautiful and the addition looks seamless. Jim and the crew were friendly, clean and very easy to communicate with. Jim is excellent at explaining all aspects of construction and was always willing to teach me, when I had questions. Couldn't be happier!

Janice H.
Jan 2022
5.0
Major Renovation Multiple Room Service
Yes, I recommend this pro
Jim was attentive to detail, very knowledgeable and pleasant. Would definitely hire again.

Michael C.
Dec 2019
5.0
Addition to Existing Structure Building Service
Yes, I recommend this pro
Jim and crew were friendly, professional, and highly skilled. He designed and estimated my job on the spot. He has a great system and if I mentioned I wanted a change he would document it and send me a change order immediately. He showed up when he said he was going to, managed subcontractors and took all responsibility. He helped me navigate both town permits and state wetlands permits. I could not recommend him more and I could not be happier with the process and results.

Randy B.
Sep 2019
5.0
Addition to Existing Structure Building Service
Yes, I recommend this pro
I am in the middle of my home improvement and Mr Yaratz has been wonderful. Everything he promised and spoke about was completed ahead of Schedule. Can t wait to see final project

Artie W.
Oct 2018
5.0
Addition to Existing Structure Building Service
Yes, I recommend this pro
$7,800
Jim is very personable and professional. He was able to explain a lot of confusing contractor topics so that I understood and could make an informed decision. I will definitely use him again

Ron M.
Oct 2018
5.0
Major Renovation Multiple Room Service
Yes, I recommend this pro
Kept to schedule. Highly cooperative & willing to do extra things. Could not be more pleased. Skilled craftsmen, intelligent, and personable.

Michael C.
Apr 2018
5.0
Addition to Existing Structure Building Service
Yes, I recommend this pro
$19,000
Job Type: Garage conversion into a fully finished family room open to main area of the home. We were looking for additional square footage living space in our home and were contemplating erecting a new structure. After much consideration I decided that we would look into converting one side of our two car under home garage into a family room. This turned out to be a great idea and would recommend it for added value to your home. Finding a diverse contractor thats reliable, knowledgeable, customer service orientated and open minded is difficult. Often times construction projects turn disastrous due a contractor not adhering to scheduling, inferior quality of work, over pricing/under estimating and job site cleanliness. After some searching I decided to contact Jim. Jim provides great customer service and is very responsive. He replied quickly to my inquiry and agreed to view the proposed project. I'm intermediately versed to carpentry and had some specific design ideas in mind. Upon Jim viewing the job his experience and knowledge was obvious and was able to provide additional quality aspects to the project. He promised an estimate and followed up a few days later. Jim is competitively priced to the market, cheapest is not always the best avenue. We discussed and reviewed the clear estimate and decided to go forward. Timelines and payment schedules were discussed as well. Jim began the project on time as promised and progressed in an acceptable time frame. There are always some delays involving inspections and juggling other jobs but the project moved forward smoothly. During construction I decided to make some changes along the way and Jim was very easy to work with and open minded, Again, his knowledge and experience was evident. He has the ability to provide sound advice explaining what will work vs what won't work. The jobsite was kept orderly and clean with minimal intrusion to the home. When the job is completed Jim reviews the project and if something isn't up to standard he remedies it so the customer is satisfied. This was an honest, fair and accurate review. I Find it difficult to rate anything as perfect, because In reality you can always find fault with something. I rated Jim as five stars as overall there really wasn't room for improvement. Our decision to contact Jim proved to be an excellent choice. If your looking to complete a project reach out to Jim, you'll be glad you did!

Paul Q.
Feb 2018
3.5
Addition to Existing Structure Building Service
Yes, I recommend this pro

Katie P.
Feb 2018
1.0
Major Renovation Multiple Room Service
$17,000
We had multiple facets of our job done by him including demo, plaster, drywall repair, and painting. if you're interested in seeing his work let me know and I would be glad to show you (home advisor has my number). The site does not allow pictures or that would speak volumes. This crew is good at demo because it doesn't require precision or expertise. My job was done in August-September of 2017 and ceiling repair is already cracking, wall repair is so obvious because it was not done right (took shortcuts) and paint job had to be redone because of so many missed spots. He did come back to try to make it right but when we realized he just isn't a painter or plasterer we had to cut our losses and hire a professional. When I asked him about the quality of work he literally told me "I did not quote you for that quality of work". I guess I didn't realize that it worked that way. I always put my best work out there at my job each and every day. So folks you better let him know (if you dare to hire him) that you want only his best work! I would not recommend him for anything other than demo.
Response from Jim Yaratz III
"This job was quoted for deming out some doors and trim and removal of a wall between kithchen and living room Then new doors installed and to touch area betwern room knowing that ut would not blend petfectly because of plaster. A quote was given to remive and redo ceilings completely, but custonetr chose not to go this route. The walls and feiling instead were to have homes touched up and painted as tbey were. After paint was done, custoner wanted everything sanded and redone in entire hone bu didnt want to pay. I tried to go back and touch up sone agreed upon areas. The custoner agreed at first then asked me to stop and call it even as they still owed monies. I agreed to avoid conflict in enforcing signed detailed contract. I would be willing to have pitures shown as it wasnt that bad. The custoner is in business and fully unstood what they were signing. They just wanted more than what paid for. I have been foing tnis over 30yrs and have a 95% satisfaction rating. I stand behind my work as well even years down the road. However if dont let me in to do it or change tge scope at the end. I cant fo anything about that."

Tone C.
Oct 2016
5.0
Addition to Existing Structure Building Service
Yes, I recommend this pro
We are enjoying Jim's handiwork every day. He put us at ease and kept us informed all the way through the project

Amy-Kristin L.
Feb 2016
0.5
$14,500
Jim quoted a price and stuck with the price, however, it did not cover the majority of the supplies. I was responsible for them and did not cover the plumbing and electric, which he subcontracted out (which I was agreeable to prior to starting the remodel because I thought they were Home Advisors’). I was really disappointed with the amount I paid for the quality of work done. I was told the bathroom would be gutted down to the studs, and I was under the impression that meant “gutting down to the studs” includes removing the insulation. The insulation had lots of holes, mold and rat feces and he was going to cover it up without even telling me about it. The wall he built for the tub was completely uneven especially at the ends. Tiles are cracked, uneven, and Jim had broken a tile on the floor & did not even tell me until I saw myself. I asked him about it and then said exact quote “oh yeah, I saw that after stepping on it and it will be too expensive to fix”. In his original response on my previous post, he stated it was cut for the toilet, however, the edges were jagged, sharp and uneven and had admitted to stepping on the tile while it wasn’t completely set. Also one of the tiles on the floor, the pattern is in the opposite direction of the other tiles. There are cracks in the grouting and left me the grout to fix myself, which I don’t know how to do. When questioned, he would state it is because of the unevenness of the walls, but these were walls he built for the tile around the tub. There is water leaking out of the vent every time someone takes a shower which he assured me that it was vented properly. He also left a mess inside and outside. Inside the excess grout on the tiles on the floor and shower were never cleaned and dust was left everywhere. Outside where they did the mixing and cutting, they left a huge mess with sawdust and sharp shavings on my porch and dumped the cement/grout on my front lawn where there are now large pieces of cement and grout imbedded into my lawn/bushes. Jim presents as a very nice man, but I felt like my remodel, even though a huge investment to me, a single mom with one income, was a small remodeling job and was not as important to him and did not put much effort or even care about the quality of the remodeling. He actually stated “this is just a fill-in job” until bigger jobs are available. I had originally posted this review months ago and Jim wrote a response which was filled with untruths and I was not able to respond back, so I removed it. I was not going to repost it, but every time I take a shower and look around at all the cracks, jagged edges of cut tiles, uneven walls and leaks from vent, I cry because I can’t afford to fix them yet and don’t ever want any other person to be put in the same position as me. I am sure Jim will respond with untruths again, so my words are backed with pictures. I can’t post them due to site not having the capability to post pictures, so I have given permis
Response from Jim Yaratz III
"This us the second post in two years by a customer Amy-Kristen L. Who did not get a huge discount they were trying for even though my bid was least expensive and gave them all fixtures,plumber ,electrican at cost which they paid directly for. They pulled their first review and posted an even nastier and slanderrous review I have sent statement as well as copies of contract to homeadvisor . House was found very messy when I arrived. Customer was in process of stripping wallpaper and patching drywall. Their were several animals running around as well. I vacuumed and cleaned upstairs hallway , stairs and path to front door. There was several feet of snow on ground when job was done. Some tile water was poured out,but no one contacted when snow melted to say anything was in yard. The only contact I got was some grout cracks about a week later which I fixed . I informed customer they needed better heat on and to wait a couple of weeks to let dry because of lack of heat. Crack in floor tile was Because of someone walking on it before t was dry. I fixed and made look like a grout line which customer accepted. Customer understood contract and signed. They are college educated as she informed me. I never received any more calls after that fix. Contract was paid on full. I give a 1 yr warranty and was never approached about anything . The customer has many untrue statements. I have been in bus since 1988 with a great reputation and many satisfied customers . I can only speculate this is one of those rare people that are not satisfied no matter what you do. I gave free insulation in the walks and ceilings. The vent ,I can not comment on because it was installed by electrican customer paid for directly Everything was spelled out in black and white. Again I would ask that home advisor take down this post and repost original post as this one is just pure slander on part of the customer . . Sincerely Jim Yaratz"

Jw R.
Nov 2015
5.0
Addition to Existing Structure Building Service
Yes, I recommend this pro
We hired Jim in the summer of 2015 to design and build an in-law apartment.He quoted a price, honored it and fulfilled his obligations to our complete satisfaction. Jim, his son Josh and his future son-in-law, Justin formed a team of professionals par excellance and second to none in all facets of the home construction process. Always present on site to work and oversee the project, Jim's attention to every detail was evident from start to finish. The quality of his workmanship was superb and no flaw remained overlooked or uncorrected. Always willing to please the customer, change orders or requests for tasks not addressed in the original contract were accommodated and some performed at no additional cost to us. From the breaking of ground to the final nail, Jim's accomplishments met or exceeded our expectations. Jim is also a truly great guy! Just as it is imperative to assess the professional qualifications of the person hired, so too it is just as important to assess the character and integrity of the person with whom you will be working. In character, personality, sense of humor and honesty, Jim is top-notch! We can only hope that he will be available for any future projects that may arise.

Mike B.
Jul 2014
4.5
Major Renovation Multiple Room Service
Yes, I recommend this pro
Very responsive and showed up as promised..

Ed M.
Nov 2012
N/A
Major Renovation Multiple Room Service
Yes, I recommend this pro
Jim quoted a price, which was not the cheapest, but everything was there in black & white. No hidden expenses. Jjust a running joke with his helper Bill, "Change Order". Very good to work with Jim. Any issues were taken care of. We love both the kitchen & living room updates that we did. I would hire him for more projects and recommend him to other poeple for thiers also. We had fun with them all through our project.

Richard P.
Mar 2012
N/A
Major Renovation Multiple Room Service
Yes, I recommend this pro
His work was thorough.

Michael C.
Nov 2011
N/A
Addition to Existing Structure Building Service
Yes, I recommend this pro
We hired Jim Yaratz for a complete exterior remodeling. He took care of it all from a new farmer�s porch to new roof, siding, and walkway. Every step of the way Jim was a true professional, and the workmanship was top notch.

Scott I.
Sep 2011
N/A
Major Renovation Multiple Room Service
Yes, I recommend this pro
Jim and his partner-in-crime, Dana, know how to spec out a job. We had extensive damage from roof dams this past winter that we needed to fix and decided to roll in remodeling at the same time. Jim has a lot of experience in building and does a quality job. Jim expanded divided an old bathroom into two rooms, took out walls, and installed a picture window. Our Great Room is beautiful and we owe it all to Jim and Dana.

DEB T.
Jul 2009
2.0
Addition to Existing Structure Building Service
Yes, I recommend this pro
did not like he took a weeks vacation in the middle of a remodel that maybe had only another week to go.Did not let me know this when hired. He had his helper do alot of the work, I hired him, not his helper.
Response from Jim Yaratz III
"Due to a very rainy june, project was pushed out farther than expected. We worked evry day in rain to try and finsih project as quick as possible.I was there working every day, sometimes i had to go out and get materials or arrange subs and inspections and left my helper to due certain minimal tasks. Customer satisfied in the end and would refer me to friends and family."

Frank S.
Jan 2006
N/A
Jim did a great job for us. The work consisted of electrical, plumbing and carpentry and he did them all efficiently and timely. We are very pleased and feel we were lucky to find him. We will hire him again if the need arises.
Response from Jim Yaratz III
"Thank you, customer was satisfied and great to work with."

Ruth V.
Sep 2003
N/A
Response from Jim Yaratz III
"Job went well and finished with a satafied customer"

Marlena G.
Jan 2003
N/A
We have not begun our project due to the winter weather however we look forward to working with Jim Yaratz and are happy with our choice thus far.
Response from Jim Yaratz III
"Job went well and customer was satisfied."

Licensing

State Contractor License Requirements

All statements concerning insurance, licenses, and bonds are informational only, and are self-reported. Since insurance, licenses and bonds can expire and can be cancelled, homeowners should always check such information for themselves. To find more licensing information for your state, visit our Find Licensing Requirements page.

*Contact business to see additional licenses.

FAQ

Jim Yaratz III is currently rated 4.1 overall out of 5.

Monday: 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM Tuesday: 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM Wednesday: 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM Thursday: 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM Friday: 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM Saturday: Closed Sunday: Closed

Yes, Jim Yaratz III offers free project estimates.

No, Jim Yaratz III does not offer eco-friendly accreditations.

No, Jim Yaratz III does not offer a senior discount.

No, Jim Yaratz III does not offer emergency services.

Yes, Jim Yaratz III offers warranties.