Don Kahler Construction
About us
Phone calls prefer to be taken between 4-6. Owner operated. Uses subs. Charge by time & material or by the job. No travel charge within a 30 mile radius of Allegheny. Gives good referrals for other jobs to be done.
Business highlights
Services we offer
Carpentry – Unfinished, Ceramic Tile, Exterior Painting. Custom Furniture. Paper Shredding, Framing, Handymen, Plumbing, Remodeling, Windows, Woodworking
Amenities
Free Estimates
Yes
Number of Stars | Image of Distribution | Number of Ratings |
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He showed up on the agreed upon date, on time, and worked hard. Completed all aspects of work to our satisfaction.
Mr. Kahler came on the agreed upon date at 8:00 AM. The window was a second floor window in a cedar shake covered wall. He had to cut out the bad trim which was the top piece and also the section of shakes above the window. He replaced the wood and shakes and caulked and painted all new wood.
Mr. Kahler then had to hammer out old concrete in the cellar window opening to fit the concrete block. Mr. Kahler worked from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM without a break. When he gave me the bill, it was only for $400.00. He said that the job didn't take as much time as he thought it would.
He removed all debris from the work site.
I would use him again in a heart-beat.
One thing I appreciated is when I met with Don to review the scope of work (for a rough price and then right before starting after we had the materials ordered and on site), he made a few suggestions to improve it based on his experience but basically honored the scope we had intended. (We had talked to several other contractors to work on a T&M basis and they had really pushed us to completely change the layout, walls, and fixture locations, which was much more costly and time consuming.) We did elect to demo the hallway light and relocate a new one, at his suggestion, which added a small amount of time and money but was worth it. We also added regrouting all the existing wall tle, which was also more additional time and money but made the space seen more completely renovated, not piecemeal.
New lights, vanity, GFCIs, and recessed medicine cabinet had to be coordinated with the existing wall opening and the existing wall tile to remain, existing plumbing,and existing wiring. We had plans and elevations, but the on site supervisor, Jimmy, worked with us to finesse some details and limit the broken tile (we were unable to find extra that would match the 50 year old tile so they were working with a finite amount.) He was good about calling, texting, or meeting with us whenever there was an odd existing condition or wanted to present a choice (sconce rough-in height? plaster exterior wall or fur it out and insulate? remove existing flooring or build over it? etc.) Also Don came by every week to review work with us, answer questions, and receive payment.
We purchased the main items, and they were accommodating when items arrived broken (light shades), require clarification (underfloor heating system) or not at all (despite the fact we ordered it in July, the vanity arrived one month after they had finished, in September). They shared the schedule throughout and even came back a month later to install the vanity sink, mount shelves, and fix floor tile after the baby came!
I was so impressed with the quality of craftsmanship, price, and timeliness (Don's team met the initial schedule perfectly) that I asked Don if they might be interested in taking on the painting of the house. Again Don gave me his direct and meticulous assessment of the work needed (the job would include 4 colors, and more tinners red, as well as a lot of cut-in work and ladder work). I followed his advice and received estimates from other painters as well, but, given our trust in the team and that his estimate was one of the most competitive, I had no hesitation in hiring them for this larger job. Once again, the team delivered. The job took about 8 days (which fit their estimate). Don's team did an excellent job of prepping the surfaces and identifying the unique aspects of the job (e.g., what accent color should be used where). They consulted with my wife and me on every decision and, almost on a daily basis, gave me a rundown of what they had accomplished and what they were going to tackle next. While it was no surprise to me that the work turned out great, I want to note that they went above-and beyond - The team went out of their way to improve the exterior by identifying and replacing a rotted wooden garage-door frame, patching parts of the roof and gutters, and removing an old satellite dish from the top of the house. And, once, again, Don's team came in under the estimate.
My wife and I are very pleased with the work performed and can't say enough good things about the experience. I guess the best thing I can say is they we'll be using Don Kahler Construction in future.
Don was recommended to us by Ron Nitckiewicz of Ultimate Custom Painting when, in the course of repainting our house, his crew discovered extensive rot and damage. After visiting our house and providing an estimate by phone, Don met with us to present his plans for the reconstruction. He and his crew completed the job over several days while we were at work, and required nothing but access to an electrical outlet. I usually arrived home as they were cleaning up for the day, and Don cheerfully updated me on their progess and plans for the next day. He was, at all times, highly professional, honest, kind, and a true pleasure to deal with.
Don's work is stunningly expert. Much of the trim inside and around our poor roof was rotted; Don replaced it with new trim that beautifully matched the original. About 18 inches of dental moulding was missing in one section of trim, and Don created new "teeth," including a corner piece, that are indistinguishable from the intact, original sections. At the top of the house, a decorative section of the roof had been poorly repaired by the previous owners and birds had infiltrated the gaps to build large nests. Don mounted a 60 ft. ladder to, first, meticulously measure the irregular shape of the section and, later, to properly rebuild it. He showed me, on the ground, the complicated measurements and cuts he had to make in order to fix the roof---it helped explain why the job had been done so badly before and made me appreciate Don's care and perfectionism even more!
And, speaking of his perfectionism, Don also rebuilt sections of the decorative Victorian woodwork that he felt were poorly redone at some point in the house's 120-year life. This included rebuilding a decorative windowsill and redesigning and reconstructing the bases of two decorative columns. He hadn't noticed these details while performing the original estimate, but didn't charge extra for this work. These details were not readily noticeable from the ground; if Don hadn't pointed them out and repaired them, we may never have known the difference. That's one reason why Don is so special: he doesn't cut corners and doesn't stop until the work is absolutely perfect.
And, just when it seemed like things couldn't get better, the final price came in under the original estimate. This was especially significant because Don originally offered us two options: pay him for time and materials or pay a contract job-price of $4000. Fearing that he'd discover more damage than was visible from the ground, we went with the contract price. Don was under no obligation to save us money or refund us the difference, but he did so voluntarily and proudly!!
We got restoration work that was absolutely perfect, were treated with professionalism and honesty, and saved money in the end. How could you ask for more?? I wouldn't bother searching for another carpenter: no one can beat Don Kahler!
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Licensing
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