Mike Kentz Handyman Svc
About us
Self employed handyman specializing in finish carpentry, cabinet making, apartment, kitchen, bathroom and closet remodeling, and apartment painting and general installation and repair. Also serving portions of Hudson & Tompkins Counties.
Business highlights
27 years of experience
Services we offer
Apartment renovation, cabinet making, finish carpentry, interior painting & handyman.
Reviews
4.746 Reviews
| Number of Stars | Image of Distribution | Number of Ratings |
|---|---|---|
| 87% | ||
| 2% | ||
| 7% | ||
| 4% | ||
| 0% |
Showing 1-25 of 46 reviews
Jennifer V.
Mar 2017
Fast, responsive and quality job delivered at a afir price. Thank you very much!
KATHRYN B.
Nov 2016
Mike, himself, did his work well, but in order to save time (to make it a one-day job instead of two), he arrived with a helper. The helper tackled the job of fixing the hinges on the main entry door, and in so doing, he cracked the molding holding the door frame. (He also broke the sidelight.) I didn't notice the broken molding until after they left, and when I brought it up with Mike, he refused to believe me, saying that it was already cracked. After several email exchanges (very unpleasant), the helper finally admitted that he had broken the molding. Mike said that he would come back to glue the molding, but not replace it. He was so unpleasant throughout, that I didn't want him back in my house. Additionally, when the two men were leaving the job, I asked whether they were going to clean up their work sites; they seemed totally surprised, and then went back and did a cursory clean-up. In all, an unsatisfactory experience.
Anne J.
May 2016
he was great/knowledgeable/good - helped me with general things around my apartment.
Bonnie C.
Jul 2015
unknown
J H.
Jul 2015
I hired Mike Kentz to cut and install wood doors in my apt, but a few months later some of the doors swelled and wouldn't close. He said he would trim them to fit, but never completed the work. Mike Kentz was paid in-full before the doors began to swell.
When Mr. Kentz cut the doors, I told him there was less than 1/16 of an inch clearance around the door and frame, and that the wood will swell during humid summer days. Any swelling would inhibit the doors from closing. Mr. Kentz insisted that wood doors do not swell. It only took a few months for swelling to occur and the doors soon became difficult to close.
Mike Kentz said he would trim the doors in the summer but made excuses.
I contacted Mike Kentz a year later and strangely he asked for more money. Mike wanted money for his brother, who I never hired nor met. Mr. Kentz said that he occasionally consulted his brother when he wasn't knowledgable about a certain task. Mike thought his brother deserved a token of my appreciation. As I said before, I never hired nor even met his brother. And, I shouldn't have to pay for the advice that someone receives if they don't know how to do their job properly.
Mike Kentz's brother is an electrician who Mike occasionally called for advice on electrical wiring. His brother also sent me a quote on how much it would cost for him to build custom light fixtures. His brother's quote was more than another company's grossly inflated price, so I did not hire him.
Mike Kentz never trimmed my doors to fit. He charged me for his taxi cab fare because he doesn't have a car, and also charged me for drill bits and other tools that he kept.
When Mr. Kentz cut the doors, I told him there was less than 1/16 of an inch clearance around the door and frame, and that the wood will swell during humid summer days. Any swelling would inhibit the doors from closing. Mr. Kentz insisted that wood doors do not swell. It only took a few months for swelling to occur and the doors soon became difficult to close.
Mike Kentz said he would trim the doors in the summer but made excuses.
I contacted Mike Kentz a year later and strangely he asked for more money. Mike wanted money for his brother, who I never hired nor met. Mr. Kentz said that he occasionally consulted his brother when he wasn't knowledgable about a certain task. Mike thought his brother deserved a token of my appreciation. As I said before, I never hired nor even met his brother. And, I shouldn't have to pay for the advice that someone receives if they don't know how to do their job properly.
Mike Kentz's brother is an electrician who Mike occasionally called for advice on electrical wiring. His brother also sent me a quote on how much it would cost for him to build custom light fixtures. His brother's quote was more than another company's grossly inflated price, so I did not hire him.
Mike Kentz never trimmed my doors to fit. He charged me for his taxi cab fare because he doesn't have a car, and also charged me for drill bits and other tools that he kept.
Robert K.
May 2015
The guy was good; he stuck it out.
Arman R.
May 2015
The job took a lot longer than either of us anticipated. IKEA furniture takes a lot of steps to install. Mike was by himself, which makes it hard to get these kinds of jobs done fast. That would be my only issue, that the job took so long to complete (nearly from 10am - 4pm).
I agreed to pay some extra funds, beyond the originally negotiated fixed price, to cover for the extra time. I felt it was fair to do that. And the work was done well at the end of the day. I would use him again if the need arose.
I agreed to pay some extra funds, beyond the originally negotiated fixed price, to cover for the extra time. I felt it was fair to do that. And the work was done well at the end of the day. I would use him again if the need arose.
Deborah W.
Apr 2015
unknown
Susanna A.
Mar 2015
unknown
Santushi K.
Mar 2015
Excellent. He is very professional, detail oriented and knowledgable. I highly recommend him.
Pamela R.
Feb 2015
I can it say enough good things about Mike. His assessment of the job was very thorough. Understanding the main job was to hang a very heavy mirror he asked a lot of questions and even asked for pictures so he could be sure he was prepared. The morning of the appointment he was right on time and was very friendly and professional. I thought he was fantastic all the way around, but what really was amazing was how thorough he was. He treated the work like he was doing it in his own home. Finally, he brought the tools and extra supplies to be absolutely certain the job could be done in an excellent manner. He also arranged a helper to meet him because he knew hanging such a heavy item would require assistance. A +++++
Elizabeth M.
Jan 2015
Mike was a professional from start to finish. I can't recommend him enough. He was faced with a challenging situation as he needed to whittle a new piece of wood to anchor one of our doors, and to find a way support our older hardware. He was patient, thoughtful, and followed up several times to make sure the work was done correctly. We're hoping to have him redo the stairway to our garden next.
Elizabeth U.
Dec 2014
unknown
Tove N.
Nov 2014
Mike quoted on the job ( about a 3 day process) and was ready for the install about 14 days after he received his deposit. It was a two day, over night job ( we could not close for business so his crew had to work through the night) and they did a wonderful job. They were punctual, professional and courteous.
He consulted with me multiple times on stains, dimensions and design and he was very clear and thorough in his explanations.
The young guys he brought along on the job were pleasant and very professional also.
The work they did is sturdy enough for commercial use and it is holding up beautifully.
I would highly recommend them and we will be using them again in the future.
He consulted with me multiple times on stains, dimensions and design and he was very clear and thorough in his explanations.
The young guys he brought along on the job were pleasant and very professional also.
The work they did is sturdy enough for commercial use and it is holding up beautifully.
I would highly recommend them and we will be using them again in the future.
Brad I.
Nov 2014
Mike did a great job and was extremely professional. The work is fantastic and the experience was great. I highly recommend Mike.
Anne J.
Sep 2014
Mike responded promptly to emails and it was relatively easy setting up the work time, which I appreciated. However, he seemed quite irritable and was unfriendly when he initially arrived at my home ten minutes early on the day of the job. I had asked him to bring a ladder in advance since there was none available and I knew he would need one; he had expressed his frustration about this. I had failed to mention that I have no elevator and my apartment building is a walk up; this also annoyed him and he was sure to let me know. But, regardless, he did a great job installing two window shades, one in my bathroom and one in my kitchen. The wood surfaces were not straight and the window-frame angles complicated, but he did a really wonderful job and it was done in 45 minutes. He did not complete the two other jobs he came for; one was installing a shelf in the bathroom and the other was fixing a leaky faucet in the kitchen. I had relayed to him before he came that the walls were very thin in the bathroom and it may be difficult to install the shelf. He spent a while trying install the shelf, but it did not work. He left holes in my wall that he covered up with "puddy" saying that if I ever wanted to paint one would never be able to tell that they were there. I wasn't going to paint as I had just wallpapered the bathroom. He later noted that I could put a piece of wood over a part of the wall and then put the shelf on top of it. He looked at the faucet in the kitchen and soon established what the problem was, but did not have the part to fix it saying the faucet was very old and there was no way he could have known to bring that particular part. He then started to explain how I could fix these two problems myself. I was told he had a 2 hour/$200 minimum and paid in cash. Since he had not been at my place for more than one and a half hour, he asked if there was anything else I needed done, I said no there was not and he left.
I have read some of the reviews on Mike's work and they are by large positive and I understand why. He seems like a great guy who is serious about the work he does and usually gets things done. I am sorry to have written such a mixed review, but I really feel the job in my apartment could have been handled differently if there would have been some more questions about the jobs themselves in advance to properly prepare. I felt frustrated about having to pay $200 for a job that was not completed, regardless of the fact that I in part also understood why (the walls in the bathroom are really super-thin and very difficult to hang things on, but, I thought, since a cabinet and shelf had previously been successfully mounted on it by a friend, it might work regardless). I went back to Mike's listing of services on Angie's list to check about the two hour minimum and did not find it. I then went back and looked over our email correspondence and saw that indeed he had said there was a two hour minimum and cash only. Again, the Angie's listing mentions nothing about a time minimum and it looks like check and pay pal are acceptable payment methods. Perhaps post the cash only and 2 hour minimum requirement in the Angie's listing itself? And, again, most importantly, I wish Mike would have asked me more detailed questions about the work that needed to be done in advance so he could have come better prepared and perhaps could have fixed at least the faucet. There was really no need explaining to me what I should do in order to fix the two things he failed to repair. If I wanted to fix it myself I wouldn't have hired him.
I have read some of the reviews on Mike's work and they are by large positive and I understand why. He seems like a great guy who is serious about the work he does and usually gets things done. I am sorry to have written such a mixed review, but I really feel the job in my apartment could have been handled differently if there would have been some more questions about the jobs themselves in advance to properly prepare. I felt frustrated about having to pay $200 for a job that was not completed, regardless of the fact that I in part also understood why (the walls in the bathroom are really super-thin and very difficult to hang things on, but, I thought, since a cabinet and shelf had previously been successfully mounted on it by a friend, it might work regardless). I went back to Mike's listing of services on Angie's list to check about the two hour minimum and did not find it. I then went back and looked over our email correspondence and saw that indeed he had said there was a two hour minimum and cash only. Again, the Angie's listing mentions nothing about a time minimum and it looks like check and pay pal are acceptable payment methods. Perhaps post the cash only and 2 hour minimum requirement in the Angie's listing itself? And, again, most importantly, I wish Mike would have asked me more detailed questions about the work that needed to be done in advance so he could have come better prepared and perhaps could have fixed at least the faucet. There was really no need explaining to me what I should do in order to fix the two things he failed to repair. If I wanted to fix it myself I wouldn't have hired him.
Response from Mike Kentz Handyman Svc
"I will try to address this clients concerns directly and as brief as I can. One: this client is the FIRST to NEVER tell me that the project involved walking up 6 flights of stairs, EVER. I traditionally carry a tool bag that weighs approximately 45 to 50 pounds of tools and gear. Additionally this client requested that I bring a ladder to reach the height of her ceilings, which I did. Now what astonishes me is that she is astonished that I was upset she didn’t give me the heads up; most people would consider that a courtesy. Two: she did indeed tell me about the potential difficulty of putting up a shelf in the bathroom and that the walls were thin. HOWEVER, in all my days I have never come across walls this thin. I mean this was the equivalant to wallpaper thin; which made it impossible to attach ANYTHING to it. I tried my very best to accomplish this part of her project but couldn’t and showed her why and she said she understood. Just because a client tells you beforehand that a wall is thin DOESN’T mean that it shelf can be safely installed; additionally, the shelf she mentions that a friend installed was NOT on the same area she wanted the new shelf put in. Three: She also informed me about her leaking faucet, HOWEVER she never informed me of the AGE of the unit. It had to of been the original unit that was installed when her apartment was built; sometime in the 1930’s I’m guessing and she’s astonished I didn’t have a part for this!? Most faucets I repair are at the most 20 years old and can be ‘fixed’ on the spot with what I have on site but I don’t carry parts for every faucet made. When I gave her advice on how to fix her faucet and make the walls in her bathroom more durable it was because both of these steps would require much more time and materials and thus run considerably higher in cost than what I believed she wanted to spend (she stated many times she didn’t want to put a lot of money into her place as she was only a renter not an owner). I informed her that to make the wall secure it would require opening up the wall, adding 2x4 bracing and new sheet rock. She did not wish to go to this extent. As for the faucet, I could not acquire a potential part at that time of night (after most hardware stores are closed) and suggested either the super or landlord might have a replacement. I get great pleasure helping clients and like to solve difficult problem where I can and don’t expect clients to have all the answers or questions needed before I start. However, I do depend on my clients to have some respect for the difficulties of any project and provide me with as much pertinent information as possible before I arrive. Best of luck to her."
Jason S.
Jul 2014
I hired Mike to install an EasyCloset system last week. I had never used Easy Closets but I live in a 1960s co-op with walls that are a mix of plaster, concrete and chicken-wire and I've learned to be careful drilling into them. So when I spoke with Mike, I asked if I could hire him to help me mount the closets and get them set-up in one room, then move onto the second room and do the same, while I finished the job in the first room. So basically, get the project to a point where I could take it over and finish it. He immediately got what I was going for and it was great to work with him.
From the beginning, Mike was very responsive and even researched the closet system on his own before accepting the job. He arrived with all the tools needed and had even purchased hardware in advanced based on his research of the closet system and my building. He worked smartly and efficiently, constantly double-checking his measurements while making allowances for the uneven floors and walls of a traditional New York apartment building.
Once he reached a place where he felt like I could handle the rest of the job, he said he was willing to keep working, but if I wanted, the work that was left was something I could do on my own, which was exactly what I wanted.
I would use Mike again and would highly recommend him to all of my friends.
From the beginning, Mike was very responsive and even researched the closet system on his own before accepting the job. He arrived with all the tools needed and had even purchased hardware in advanced based on his research of the closet system and my building. He worked smartly and efficiently, constantly double-checking his measurements while making allowances for the uneven floors and walls of a traditional New York apartment building.
Once he reached a place where he felt like I could handle the rest of the job, he said he was willing to keep working, but if I wanted, the work that was left was something I could do on my own, which was exactly what I wanted.
I would use Mike again and would highly recommend him to all of my friends.
Shaaron F.
Jul 2014
Mike got back to me quickly and let me know his schedule and ETA. He was professional, courteous, efficient, thorough and knowledgeable. He let me know what I needed to purchase for the job. I plan to have him come back to do a few more things in my new apartment within the next few weeks. I am so happy that I found Mike and highly recommend him!
Michael A.
Jun 2014
unknown
Jeff M.
Jun 2014
unknown
Response from Mike Kentz Handyman Svc
"Wow. I'm shocked by this review. First, the door in questions was completely broken off the side of the cabinet and had been, by the owners own admission, for some time. Second, the initial builder made this door over sized with too weak a hinge system for its weight. When this gentleman first contacted me to fix his cabinet door, it did indeed take a long time to coordinate the repair because I spent days consulting several cabinet maker friends and looking internationally for replacement parts that ultimately no longer existed. Third, I consulted with the client about what I would do to fix this door and informed him immediately that it may not work do to the poor quality of particle board sub-straight. I then made a first attempt at getting the door attached to the cabinet by filling in the missing wood and inserting solid wood dowels where the hinge would ultimately be reattached. The door worked for about 3 weeks before it came off again. I then informed the client, in detail that I would try to replace some of the structural braces the original builder made to help reduce the weight of this door; I even suggested that this door be cut in two and adding hinges on both sides but he didn't like this idea- it was in my option the best solution as no other means would work permanently. In the end I reworked the bracing and tried to add an additional hinge but that failed as well. I put a great deal of time and effort into finding a solution to this man's broken cabinet door. I did charge him for my time and effort (it was 350.00 not 400) and felt justified. I feel bad that it didn't solve the problem but know professionally that I informed him in advance of a potential 'failure' due to the the poor condition of the cabinet and door."
Sharon K.
Jun 2014
unknown
Kimberley F.
Apr 2014
Fine for now, will elaborate when job(s) arecomplete
Nina F.
Mar 2014
.
Tim G.
Feb 2014
I plan to use his services in the future and would recommend him with out hesitation.
Gregory E.
Feb 2014
Mike was terrifically communicative and professional throughout the entire process. He showed up on time; when he arrived for the project, he had all the materials he needed (or he let me know in advance what materials I should order for him); and once he began, he completed the project in under 3 days. I would definitely use Mike again, and in fact, I'm already planning my next project!
Licensing
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FAQ
Mike Kentz Handyman Svc is currently rated 4.7 overall out of 5.
No, Mike Kentz Handyman Svc does not offer free project estimates.
No, Mike Kentz Handyman Svc does not offer eco-friendly accreditations.
No, Mike Kentz Handyman Svc does not offer a senior discount.
No, Mike Kentz Handyman Svc does not offer emergency services.
No, Mike Kentz Handyman Svc does not offer warranties.