Get matched with top pole barn builders in Catharpin, VA

"I couldn't be more pleased with the deck repair that Jose and Melvin of JW Home Improvement performed for us. The attention to detail, beautiful joints, use of screws instead of nails, and the particular attention appearance and completeness. The site was left spotless. A special thanks for your dedication to working in such cold weather. Thanks."

Hello!!! I’m Alex Ruffing, welcome to my page! \n\nI’m a born & raised Northern Virginian with 19 years in construction services (and counting). I started young, with family, on area commercial jobs; Wolftrap, Metro Garages and Park & Rides, and many of our shopping plazas. Then spent some time traveling the east coast building in the industrial sector; concrete, sky rises. Now I am happy to be home and operating as a Handyman(+). \n\nHandyman because I mostly operate independently, preforming all kinds of repair and remodeling opportunities. \n(+) because I am well connected with reputable tradespeople in the area, and I always happy to discuss larger residential projects; backyard pavilions, outdoor kitchens, shotcrete pools, additions, movie theaters, bars, and wine cellars. \n\nMy cell phone is (571)320-8605. Do not hesitate to call or text so we can discuss solutions regarding your home’s next repair, remodel, or improvement. \n\nWith best wishes, thank you. I look forward to hearing from you.\n\n

"Great. Mike and I talked briefly through Angie's List messaging system, I described what I needed, he quoted an hourly rate along with estimate of time needed, we set up a time and were good to go. Showed up on time, I explained what I needed done showing him each item and he got to work. Kitchen faucet: I thought it was just a bad washer or o-ring, but it turned out to be a plastic part (that interacted with a metal part) that had worn out deep inside the faucet, which he found by disassembling the faucet. Showed me where it was and what it did, and unfortunately there was no replacement part available. Also explained that he had seen black/rusty water when he was taking things apart and the valve/lines under the sink needed replacing too. (This explained some odd tastes we were getting from the sink water.) He asked me what type of faucet and quality level I wanted (cheapest, most expensive, middle), went out and bought it plus the other needed parts, returned and installed it all. Works great and the water doesn't taste odd anymore. What I thought was a simple job turned out to be more complex and longer. Bathroom sink faucets: Fairly straight forward replacement, though he did have to shorten the connecting rod connecting the drain plug to the post you pull to close the drain. There isn't much space under the cabinets! Also pointed out a small leak in the pipes underneath, which he fixed as well. And he cleaned out all the build up in one of the drains so it drains promptly now. Toilet: Replaced the clogged valve in a jiffy along with the feed line and the tank hardware, and now, instead of taking 20 minutes to refill, it refills in a short time, stops when it's suppose to stop, and doesn't leak. Bathroom: Removed the towel rack, moved and leveled the shelf. And, he tightened the nut holding the toilet seat cover onto the toilet without even being asked, just because he noticed it. (We had lived with it after my attempts to tighten it hadn't worked.) Kitchen cabinet: Removed the drawer and pointed out that the wheel rails can spread at the back, from use. Closed the spread and now the drawer slides in and out perfectly. (I felt dumb for not having figured that out, but now I know.) Cleanliness: He had canvas drop cloths to catch any dirt or grime he generated as well as for protecting the floor. Had a trash bag for any trash generated (such as the faucet boxes) and used it as he went, rather than gathering the trash at the end. Honesty: Even though he ended up doing several extra things (valves and lines under kitchen sink, fixed a leak under bathroom sinks, toilet seat cover nut), I did not get the vibe that he was finding these just to do them and earn more money. The kitchen faucet issue agreed with what we had already observed, and the leak in the bathroom sink cabinet was real and (obviously!) needed fixing. And the seat cover nut, well, that was just a nice touch. All in all, I am very pleased with the results. Very pleased with his attitude and willingness to dig in to get the job done and working until it was. He explained the extra work needed as he found it, and didn't bother me unduly (I had my own work to do, as well, working remotely that day). And when I stepped over to see how it was going, he gave a precise update. He had all the tools needed (most of which I don't have, such as plumber's putty), and he had several spare parts in his truck so he wasn't constantly driving over to Home Depot. In short, he came prepared. Turned out to be 8 hours of work instead of the original estimate of 5 or less. Charged by the hour, and for the faucet and valve and bit of pipe installed (about $200 in parts). I like that flexibility, rather than charging a flat rate for a block of time (4 hours or 8 hours is what I've seen elsewhere on Angie's List site). The rate was competitive and I tipped him as well. The amount indicated in this review is for parts and labor only."

"From the beginning, I knew that Justin LeBlanc was knowledgeable and professional. He set up a time for an estimate at a time when I could be there, and he was neatly dressed and ready to take notes. After a good walk-through of the situation, he said he would get back to me in a day or two with an estimate based on the laundry list we had agreed on. He did, and I have to say that the estimate was reasonable and competitive. What impressed me was his professionalism, willingness to listen, and ability to respond to questions in a way that showed me he had been in the business a while and knew what he was doing (he eventually told me he had worked for his father's company for a number of years). I sent in my 50% deposit and got on the calendar to start work.
After one schedule delay day and one rain day, he and a teammate showed up bright and early and got right to work. They were neat and careful, and they didn't mind me asking questions along the way. They replaced all the wood trim around the windows, up the corners, and at the top of the front of the house, and their painter had all that painted by Day 2. However, also on Day 2 they discovered while taking trim down around the garage entrance that a load-bearing beam had sustained a good amount of termite damage. This required another estimate for a separate task (replacing that beam and rebuilding the entrance to the garage) that took place a week later when it fit into his schedule, but one that came with improvements to the garage entrance that oddly, the builder and/or previous owners didn't include (like insulation in the front-facing wall on either side of the garage entrance, and stripping around the garage door that keeps air from leaking through). He even installed a new outside light by the garage for me. He would have put the old one back up, but we agreed the one I picked out was much nicer. And it is!
When unexpected things like termite damage pop up, it's easy to understand how schedules can slip a day. It was nothing in my book compared to the expertly skilled service, communication, and humor Justin and his team brought to the job. I believe the worth of the improvement in my home's structure and appearance is greater than what I spent, and I have found a contractor I WILL bring back to my home for other projects. I've given his cards to a handful of people already, and a few neighbors have come by to comment on the work as well.
On a side note, as he was preparing the estimate for the unexpected garage work, Justin let me know that he finally got one of those credit card swipers for his smart phone. That was a relief to hear, as I was not financially prepared for that surprise. He swiped the card, I signed the screen, and a receipt showed up in my email inbox. Nice!
Thanks, guys! I hope to see you again soon for the next tasks on my list!
"

"They were very prompt and professional. But, they didn't do the kind of work I needed. We needed a shed installed that we bought (7x7 - Suncast) from home depot. They build their own. Thanks"

"The primary job was to paint the exterior wood, including wooden windows, on this typical northern Virginal 2 story home with mostly vinyl siding. Excellent prep with power washing, making all 20+ wood windows operable, replacing lots of rotted wood including some custom window repair, one new major picture window, sagging garage door wood repair (precluded a replacement garage door), etc. Excellent results with high quality paint on all exterior including porch and shutters as planned, including wooden rails and slats on a largely TREX deck. This contractor specializes in wood solutions to home repair problems, as well as painting, from my experience. Has good, creative solutions to tough problems. Got a good estimate to start, but escalated a bit as the extent of rotten wood became apparent in the course of the work. I would certainly hire them again."

Home contractors

"Mike from American Home Contractors was very friendly and professional. He did a great job with my roof tuneup."

"Excellent work and people. George and his crew was attentive and worked long hours to get everything done for my garage. I would hire them again for another home improvement project."

"The crew arrived without any ladders to powerwash a 3-story townhouse. I realize a 2 man crew for 2 hours can only address so much, but I would have appreciated the opportunity to purchase additional time to have the algae on the brick/mortar cleaned and the 9' x 9' deck washed. I now need to hire yet another contractor :/"