Commonwealth Renovations

Used the "Angie's big deal" for a bathroom remodel priced at $5k. Service negotiation took quite a while on the price as the contractor had materials mark-up in bid of up to 250% of Home Depot/ Lowe's retail price. We ended up supplying the materials. Initial contracting team (Chris/ Jesse) took 3 weeks to complete the job. We were told it would take a week. When it was done, they had installed: Tub that was dinged and attempted to be patched. We found the damage and called the owner immediately. Tile around the bath that was poorly grouted and buckled Floor that was installed without self-leveling compound, and thus was "wavy" and uneven Trim work with large gaps that were filled with an excess of caulk "Fixed" damage to painted wall by smearing grout on the wall the contractor did send better teams out to fix the work - but it took an additional 2 months to get it completed with two different teams. He initially did not want to replace the damaged tub but ultimately relented. Under no circumstances would I recommend working with this contractor, if only for the sake of the mark ups on the materials. While we cannot prove it, we believe we received the "C Team" (Chris/ Jesse) because we did not pay the exorbitant prices for the materials. We did end up paying nearly $750 for the damaged/ patched tub, which was a concession to the contractor. The retail for tub and associated plumbing is less than $250.

They put up an awning over an outside door for me. Handyman had never done this before and had some trial and error before getting it into the right place. Finished job was well done.

Before we could make the Appointment due to their responsiveness, I hired someone else to do the job so I was able to get a refund.

fixed a leak and replaced a board under the sink etc...

Went really well. With tile, it takes 2 -3 days to allow for drying times. He was always punctual, but he called when he was going to be late, which I greatly appreciated. Love the new tile. Would recommend them highly.

The owner of this company is not responsive at all. I first contacted him on on 6/17/13 and I was not able to get a return from him until 8/2. I contacted him multiple times (and so did a co-worker that bought the same deal), and finally after almost 2 months we both heard from him. I actually talked to his painters first which is not the way it was supposed to go. His painter actually had to have him call me because he couldn't start until I had some siding fixed. The owner JB doesn't do any of the work. He attempts to just sub everything out, and he is horrible at scheduling. I was nickeled and dimed for everything even though the "deal" which started out at $1500 including paint. With all this said the sub contractor that did the trim and siding repair was nice and on time once I finally was able to get a hold of JB. Also the painters work was nice and completed in a few days. I feel really bad for the people that work for this guy as they seem pretty nice and hard working, but their "boss" is just not doing them any favors.

He did an excellent job of repairing grout that was cracked and chipped away between counter top and travertine back splash. He was very neat and careful to not leave residue on the granite. He also gave me instructions as to how to seal the grout and it dried. I was very satisfied with the work.

Scheduling after buying the Big Deal on September 10, went well and they were responsive. After being rained out once, date was set for October 2. Because the tile had to set and paint on the trim had to dry, handyman said he'd return the following week to wrap things up. The follow-up was the only disappointing part of the experience; had to call several times once the handyman didn't show up again. However, once the job was fully completed in late October, we were very satisfied and used Commonwealth Renovations again for tub caulking.

Re-grouted shower. Provider wasn't particularly professional; no introduction, no business card, etc. The price was right, but the service was just OK.

He arrived promptly, figured out what materials we needed and promptly began removing all of the old wood and insulation. He went to the home improvement store with me to buy the needed materials and he repaired all of the wood that needed to be replaced. It ended up costing me an additional $120 or so, outside of the Angie's List deal, but it was worth it in the end. He took his time and did the job right, so that was the most important thing to me.

Used special $299 coupon for 8 hours of contractor labor for home remodelling project from Commonwealth Renovations. Laborer ("Robert") called to explain he had to start late to finish previous day's job. Upon arrival, he worked steadily until it was time to go out and buy materials to complete the project. Upon returning (about 2.5 hours), he had to work fast before darkness set in and I don't think he workmanship was very good since he was working in the semi-darkness (I turned the porch and yard lights on to help) and I went out and held a flashlight on his work so he could see better. I discovered as he was working that he had caused damage (as a result of rocking the exterior beam to remove it from its penetration into the exterior wall) to the interior wall opposite the exterior area he was working on and brought the damage to his attention. He offered no apology or suggestion that he would fix it or report it to his boss. I know I got a bargain (compared to $1200+ other quote) by doing the caulking and staining of the replacement siding, but I hadn't bargained on having to repair an interior drywall as a result of sloppy workmanship. At the end of the job, worker asked for payment for the siding nails he allegedly purchased (offered no receipt as proof of purchase) and asked for reimbursement for gas used in running around town buying materials. When I helped him load all the demo materials, I got no expression of thanks for assisting him throughout the job or in the final clean-up. With advance notice, I could have arranged to have the materials needed and used the laborer time to perform other projects discussed with him and his boss (that stopped by to a**** what was needed and confirm what the workman was planning to do).

THEY WERE EASY TO WORK WITH AND WERE VERY ACCOMMODATING AND FAST.

We found Commonwealth Renovations through Angie's List, purchasing a "Big Deal" of 3 hours of handyman work for $99.00. We purchased the "Big Deal" Feb 28, 2013, and through no fault of theirs, we did not call them out to the house until June 24, 2013. When the handyman arrived, he was very professional. He worked with me to determine what he would fix in the three hour window. He patched a hole we had in our bathroom drywall. He then installed a new length of PVC pipe to replace a broken PVC drain pipe. Finally, we needed to install bracing for our deck railing, so he dug post holes and set a pair of 4x4 posts in concrete for use to brace the deck railing. He was very courteous, got the work done and cleaned up the work areas when he was finished. I would recommend Commonwealth Renovations to anyone needing handyman type repairs done around or in your home.

They did an outstanding job. We worked out a time for him to come. We actually had to cancel a couple of times and then let it wait for a long time and called him back. The guy showed up exactly when he was supposed to. He did a fabulous job.

I purchased a deal through Angies list for 3 hrs of handyman services. I was very pleased with the job done by Robert. He was knowlegable and very helpful. His work was excellent and he left the work area neat and tidy. My only concern was that the company owner was slow to respond to calls at times. This "deal" was definitely worthit.

I was very helpful and professional.

I thought the gentleman was going to draw me a plan but he ended up giving me a quote which was not detailed. I wanted someone to draw me up a floor plan because I was going to do a bathroom renovation. But the gentleman was very professional. I ended up spending just the price of the big deal. I bought a deal for a plan and I didn't get a plan.

It was a simple job, they showed up on time and went right to work. The service and work was great I'd use them again.

I recently purchased a house in the Fan that needed work before I could move-in. After interviewing and speaking with numerous contractors, I finally met JB Snipes at Commonwealth Renovations. He has been a god-send and I could not recommend him enough. As young first time homeowners on a tight budget, we were really fortunate to have worked with JB who helped us overcome the numerous obstacles that came with owning a Fan row house with "character" and "charm." We couldn't have gotten through our "DIY" bathroom and kitchen renovation without him. He was a wealth of knowledge and so prompt to send out his men to complete any new project that we realized we couldn't handle (which was almost everything). JB sent out two men, Chris and Jessie, to do most of the work for us with the exception of the drywallers. After each step of the "DIY" renovations, we would realize that we were in over our heads given the idiosyncrasies of owning an old home. So, we kept going back to JB and get him to do more work as we realized things like, we don't know how to begin tiling under an 300 lbs radiator or clawfoot tub supply lines. Chris and Jessie were great to work with, very friendly and personable, and worked weekends just to get the jobs done. While we got to be pretty good at mudding and drywalling patches, after seeing how quickly JB's team could knock work out, I can say I wish we'd just had JB quote us on the whole job. Lesson learned. I think the two facets of a great contractor is the honesty of his pricing and the quality of his work - JB has both. We'd spoken to numerous contractors and actually worked with two before JB and JB stands out head and shoulders above the rest. One was an entirely mediocre experience while the other was also great, but got beat out based on JB's pricing and the fact that he didn't take credit cards. I would highly recommend using Commonwealth Renovations. JB is my new go to person and after extensive vetting of different contractors, it's a relief to be able to have one individual to turn to and feel confident the work will get done and at a reasonable price. I can't begin to say enough glowing things about JB.

The installation went well overall. The only small hang up was having to rent an electric planer for the handyman to cut the door down to fit. This was a bit unexpected, but after talking to him I understand.

The guy did a good job. He's a hard worker and does what you ask him to do. He lacked a few handyman tools, like a rack, a wheelbarrow and a shovel. I supplied those things to him, but the actual labor that he did and the price was good.

I had several other handyman- type jobs i needed completed and I asked if they would come back another time for a second appointment. I advised them that I would of course pay the regular rate from that point forward versus the initial coupon rate I paid originally. They didn't bother returning two phone calls and clearly don't want the work. I would have used them for various jobs in the future but now I will find a company who is interested in retaining customers. Do not use this company if you want more than a few hours work - one time.

Very well, would call again

Overall, I am pleased with the work provided. He took a couple of smoke breaks, which wasn't bad so much for timing purposes as it was for the smell of cigarettes. I would hire them again based on the quality work performed!

They wanted to reschedule on the day due to rain, but it was fine, dust was left on the walls and they said they would call me back to replace the brass plate between the bathroom and the bedroom, which they did not do, so I replaced it myself. I do not know if it was normal, but there is tile in my bathroom so I guess I am satisfied.