A J Iron Works

I am writing this as a fair warning to people to not use AJ Iron Works for their iron work and/or steel deck. The following is an account of my experience in working with them from July to Dec 2022 to construct a 10x17 foot steel deck with railings in my Brooklyn backyard. Their overall work during this project was completely unacceptable. And since project completion, they have continued to refuse to rectify the issues that occurred less than 4 months after finishing the job. I have attached pictures as proof but they are not the only pictures i have. Angi only allows 10 pictures to be uploaded. 1. Deck deformities: There are 2 deformities that they neglected to mention to me at the time of installation, one is a warping of the I-beam structure, and the other is a bent piece of steel where the staircase is cemented into the ground. 2. Bluestone and Fence damage: As they were installing the deck and painting it, they never properly covered the bluestone that was just installed and dropped black paint on the newly laid bluestone patio and fence. They tried to remove the paint with some abrasive material/products and ruined $7,300 worth of bluestone that had to be replaced. They also left black paint on the newly installed fence. They tried to blame the contractor’s men for the damage, but the contractor’s men had not been at the work site for at least a week. 3. Timeline delays: They were severely behind on timelines around the NYC permitting process as well as securing the necessary documents to obtain permits. There were lapses in between when the work was being done that were not forecasted or explained to me that put the project behind ~3 weeks. 4. Communication issues: Throughout the job, communication had been both non-existent and inconsistent. Some days I had no idea the guys were coming over. And other days when they said they were going to come over they didn’t…and then would possibly show up the next day. There were some ‘front office’ illnesses that could have explained the lack of communication; however, a proper business would have a back-up person communicating to all customers. 5. Rust damage: They claim that the deck railings were properly primed and painted, however the amount of rust damage observed (starting Feb 2023), would suggest otherwise. In fact, I have spoken to 2 other iron works companies who both doubt that the railings were primed and painted correctly. Sandy at AJ will say that he offered to touch up spots that we noticed in Dec 2022, but I would not allow him to do so after he ruined the stone and fence (see above). The amount of rust that now exists has gone way beyond needing touch up’s to be done, especially since nothing was likely primed properly to being with. I have since worked with another company to fix the rust issue because AJ has continued to refuse to review the damage and remedy the situation. I had to pay for this all out of my own pocket, which was a very expensive job. When I provided this quote to Sandy at AJ and asked for reimbursement, he initially did not return my communication. I gave AJ one last chance to rectify the situation and make good on all the damage, time, aggravation, and out of pocket costs that this ordeal has caused me by sending this note to him in hopes that he would do the right thing. But he continues to decline. To anyone looking to work with a company for your iron and/or deck needs, I would absolutely not work with AJ iron works in any capacity if you wanted a quality outcome on your project.

One month after moving into our new home, our insurance company informed us that we needed a railing installed immediately on the basement entry, or we would lose our insurance. AJ Ironworks responded immediately to an email inquiry and using photos and measurements were able to make an estimate and fulfill the paperwork requirements of the insurance company within 3 days. They were highly responsive and helpful and matched the existing ironwork already on the house with an iron railing and decorative fencing. We were very pleased with the entire experience and will use them again.

AJ and his two man team arrived promptly this morning and started work. The team was professional and courteous. Prior to service, the work was clearly explained and an estimate of 175 was given. AJ and his team handled the repair expediently, and we are very pleased with their work. As for the actual work itself,  AJ's workers removed the rusted gate hinges, welded new gate  hinges onto the existing frame, then polished and painted the perimeter of the gate so it looked like a pristine new gate. The quality of the work was exceptional. Yes, the provider did need to be contacted twice to actually make our required appointment; however, this is a very minor issue in our eyes, and given the quality of the work, excellent price, and promptness in service delivery, I would definitely recommend this company to anyone seeking fence or gate iron work. Shop around and be a judicious customer because some of the other Iron working companies in this area are shysters with such exorbitant costs for a simple 45 minute repair.. AJ is honest and has reasonable prices for the scope of the work.
 My neighbor lives two buildings across from my home, saw AJ and his team working on my gate, then actually hired him the same day to repair their gate as well. 
Thank you again, AJ. I had an excellent experience with your company.

From the first phone call I had a good feeling about the company. Alex is a great communicator - he answers his phone, he's polite, a good listener and responsive. Service was prompt and professional. The workers were conscientious and polite,. They cleaned up after themselves, removing all debris and leaving the work area in better condition than when they arrived I wanted to have the job done as soon as possible, but due to schedule conflicts it couldn't be done for another three days, which would fall on a Monday. He called on Friday afternoon to let me know he finished another job early and could complete my job that day rather than wait until Monday. On top of the excellent service and communication, their price was the best of three quotes I solicited. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this company to a friend and plan to hire AJ Iron again.

I called them and they gave me a quote through email after I sent them pictures and then did the repair. the repair job made the gate sturdy again. The work was good, I was happy with it. They were here on time and did it in the time slot predicted. They were pretty professional. They answered my phone calls. I found them a little pricey but I was happy with the work so it is all relative. I had to get in touch with them to get a receipt.

They were really great. They were very helpful. They basically exactly copied the iron door that was original to the house and they did it really fast.