THE HANDYMAN

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A portion of our deck was built around a large Ash tree in 2006. In the last year, it became evident that the tree was growing much quicker than expected and was beginning to get into support system under the deck. Lee came out and met with the deck builder to determine a plan that would keep the deck within code and allow additional room for the tree to grow. Decking was removed and replaced; framing repaired or moved; and the clean-up was thorough. No issues and a job well done!

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In the fall of 2014, I solicited 3 quotes to have the ramp into my wooden utility shed replaced.  It was a somewhat challenging task since the shed sits on top of a steep hill, causing the ramp to be sloped down away from the shed.  Lee's price was almost twice that of the other quotes.  But I chose Lee to do the work because he provided a written plan and seemed to care about doing a good job.  The ramp had been rebuilt a couple of years earlier and was already warping and rotting due to inappropriate materials and workmanship, and I wanted it done right this time.



Due to the weather, the project didn't start until May of 2015.  That wasn't a problem because I could still use the existing ramp.



Lee completed the job across 4 days, which was longer than originally estimated (not uncommon in my experience).  I had thrown in one additional repair to the shed which did add a little time.  Since it was an outdoor project, he could come and go as he pleased, and I didn't need to take off work to escort him.



The finished ramp is very solid and looks like it will last a long time.  Lee designed it to allow for better water drainage and used a paver stone support base to keep the ramp from sinking into the ground.  It was these kinds of thoughtful ideas that separated Lee from his competitors when I was getting quotes.



As others have written, Lee appears to have a lot on his plate (he mostly works alone) satisfying a large number of clients.  He's in demand because he seems to be very knowledgeable and cares about doing good work.  With that in mind, you may need to allow for some flexibility in the schedule and execution of your project.  For this task, it was much more important that everything was done right rather than done fast.  I definitely would recommend talking to Lee if you have a project requiring a handyman.

Lee is a very pleasant person, very easy to work with. He is very accommodating to your needs and schedule. Most important to me though, is that he is a conscientious worker. He likes what he does , cares about what he does, researches what he does when he has to, and takes pride in what he does. Since this is an older home and this particular room of windows was added on sort of 'out of whack', it was a challenge to cut the new pieces and place them as there were a lot of different sizes and proper fitting to be done. Lee did this quickly and with precision. At the finish he caulked /sealed all surrounding areas for a great look. I will be using Lee to do some bathroom remodeling work soon, confident that it will look great! I will report about this later .

• The Handyman asked me to check his completed painting each day and to note any concerns that I had so he could make them right. Every day I was constantly noticing issues with his painting work. A secondary frustration I had is that he did not finish my house before he moved on to another job. I always felt like I was playing second fiddle to another client's project. He did a good job with the spackling and of keeping me informed of his schedule. But the schedule itself was very sporadic with him showing up to do work, and when he did show up he would usually leave after a half day's work to go onto another job. He never gave me a project completion date. I expected a more consistent work schedule. The overall issue with this project was that he was not able to adequately paint my house, which lead him to ultimately walk off the job, a breach of contract. Where ever there was wood trim, there was the paint he was applying. He didn't prime the wall before painting and he didn't use painter's tape to mask the woodwork. When I pointed this out to him, he said that was not his paint on the trim, but was paint from before. He painted green over antique white, which would be a clear contrast of which paint was his and which was old paint. Regardless, he would not own up to the green paint on the trim being his and became angry. He went so far as to using a magnifying glass to try and show me that it was not his green paint, but instead white. He did not lay down adequate drop cloths resulting in paint and spackling getting on the hardwood floors and on the carpet. I told him at the beginning of the project that the carpet would eventually be replaced, so he took this to heart and said, and quot;this will be a great drop cloth,and quot; and then he laughed. I restated that the carpet replacement would be down the road. My other concern was that he removed all the switch and electrical plate covers, then ultimately lost the screws to re-secure them. I had to get all new screws.
• In the end, he said he was going to quit the job without finishing the work we had agreed to and he was going to remove from the cost of the project the two bedrooms that he had not painted because there was and quot;too much drama going on.and quot; From my perspective, he was creating the unneeded drama. He became very upset saying and quot;no one accuses me of something that I did not do.and quot; He said, and quot;I am out of here,and quot; and he walked off the job after I paid him the amount due for the work he had completed on 11/14/14.
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• I got his name from a neighbor who used him to paint the interior of her home and she said he paint splatters on her new bathroom counter without cleaning it up. This guy is not qualified to paint interior rooms. I would never recommend him to anyone.

Lee is a busy guy and takes the time to do his research before starting a job. That means that he's not the best if you're in a hurry, but if you have a tricky job that you want done right, he's the best.
We had a deck built last year and after several attempts by the contractor to fix the issues, we were still left with unsatisfactory results. So, we looked for someone else to finish the job. It's amazingly difficult to find someone willing to take on a repair like this. All the deck contractors just want to build new decks. After several referrals, we got Lee's number from Cellar Lumber in Westerville.
Lee gave us an accurate estimate. He investigated all the materials and the best way to fix our issues. The results are better than we hoped for. I'd highly recommend him for any work you may need.

EXCELLENT!

Our bathroom is almost done and it is going to look very good. I would definitely use him again in the future.

He is not the cheapest but he is definitely the best. He never has to return to fix things; he always does a good job the first time. I feel very comfortable having him around the house. He is extremely thorough, clean and honest.

Every job Lee has done for me has been incredibly professional. I have absolutely not one complaint about the work that he has done. I would recommend him to anyone.

My wife and I were brand new homeowners (thanks to that tax credit) at that time, so I really appreciated that when Lee came out for an estimate, he also shared general home maintenance advice along the way as we walked through the house. The estimate process was pretty simple, and estimate itself was easy to read and understand. When it came to the actual work, things went smoothly, and as it turned out, the estimate was generous because he didn't end up needing as many materials -- so everything got done at a cost under the original estimate. I can pretty confidently write this now, many months later, as with all of the rain, snow, and ice that this area has suffered since that time, the wood in the area that Lee repaired is still bone dry.

Lee is an honest, exacting professional. His quotes were fair and accurate, his work is prompt and thorough, he always left the job site cleaner than he found it. I would call Lee for all my handyman needs.

THIS GENERAL CONTRACTOR, AND HIS WIFE, HAVE BEEN DOING A VARIETY OF TASKS FOR ME FOR ABOUT 4 YEARS. I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN COMPLETELY SATISFIED, AND HAVE RECOMMENDED HIM TO SEVERAL PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN VERY PLEASED. ANYONE WHO WORKS WITH THIS TEAM WILL BE COMPLETELY SATISFIED THAT THE WORK HAS BEEN DONE RIGHT THE FIRST TIME!!!