Resident Handyman

Bob and his wife were great. Showed up when they said they would and completed the work within the timeframe they estimated. Completed the framing and came back a few days later (after the inspection) and completed the drywall.

Mr. Birtch scheduled our estimate for the very next day. He arrived and was prompt, professional, and very nice. We should have used him but did not. . . .and are regretting it. We will definitely call for our next project.

Bob didn't respond to my email for several weeks, but was very nice when he finally called me and came to give a estimate. I showed him several projects and he gave me some suggestions. I was a little nervous about his judgement when he said he was unwilling to use real flooring to replace a section of my kitchen floor, but recommended glue-down pergo floor. (I have 90 year old original pine floors and only needed a small repair!) I didn't use him for that project, but decided to let him work on several small projects in my basement. While he is a nice man and relatively professional, Bob?s attention to detail and quality of work were very poor. Examples include: 1.) Poor measurement: He built a new closet but the door opening was the wrong size and the closet door didn't fit correctly. He framed a door 6" larger than we agreed, and used the wrong door in the wrong room ... causing me to have to return a door and buy another one. He framed a closet bi-fold door and hung it incorrectly, so not only does it open the wrong way but the handle is on the wrong side so when you pull the door it doesn't open. Also, the door needed to be shortened and he didn't take enough off so the door sticks once it is half way open. He built a small cabinet to cover an electrical box, and it had to be redone because it was crooked. Bob installed a counter-height refrigerator in a wet bar and installed the cabinets on either side of the refrigerator. Because he didn?t measure correctly and didn't pay attention he neglected to leave enough room for the door to open. Now I can?t adjust the shelves in the fridge because the door doesn't open all the way becuase the cabinets are too close. I can?t move the cabinets because the countertop wouldn?t fit. What a mess! Also, the finish work wasn?t good quality (missing trim, etc). He hung the upper cabinet so close to the ceiling that I can?t open the door properly. 2.) Plumbing nightmare: Bob plumbed a sink for a wet bar but he didn't have everything connected securely in the cabinet below and we ended up with a flood and had to replace our new flooring. Then, about two months later, I woke up to water spraying all over and it turns out his connections to the water pipe in the ceiling weren't welded correctly and the joint wasn't just leaking, but erupting all over my new-new flooring, new furniture and TV. 3.) Electrical: Bob did a lot of wiring and installation of new lighting and outlets. We had problems when we finished the walls because the boxes that house the switches were put in the wrong place. As he was walking out the door on the last day of the project, he mentioned that one light needed a new bulb, but the bulb was fine. Then he told me it must need a new fixture. My husband and I replaced the fixture on our own, but that didn't solve the problem either. After a month of nagging, we got Bob to come back to look at it and he said that we needed a new circuit, it wasn't his fault and that he was going to charge us to fix it! I declined and had a real electrician come in to fix the job. It turns out the wiring Bob did was so poor it was a fire hazard and had already done damage to my home. Overall performance notes: As others have said, Bob and his wife are nice people and I think they tried hard to do a good job -- but the quality just wasn't there. There seems to be an overall lack of attention to detail that is evident in nearly every task. I?m all for finding and easy way to do something, but Bob took it too far and caused some very serious problems at my home. I put off writing this because I don't want to hurt his business but after all the added expense and problems I'm STILL finding with things, I feel I need to warn anyone thinking of hiring him to be very careful about what you have him do and be very specific as to what you want. All in all, I have spent nearly as much to fix problems Bob created as I paid him to do the work.

He was very nice, but he was booked for 3 weeks, and I needed someone right away.

His prices are very reasonable and he is a very efficient worker. He is very good at figuring out modifications for construction problems like repair and remodeling issues. He is very good in helping to upgrade and manage older homes and I am sure he is good with new constructions also. His workmanship and personality are both good. He has a good work ethic; he is there to do the job and he does it well. He makes sure that he finishes it well. I would definitely use him again and probably call him next year.

They were very, very professional. The man who came knew everything technical about what he was supposed to do. They were a little bit expensive, but, I would use them again if needed.

Mr. Birch is a pleasure to work with. He was punctual, polite, neat and professional. The only thing I had to do personally was get some additional paint to match the surroonding walls on both of the drywall repair spots. His work was flawlessly done, on schedule and right at the estimate. I'll definitely hire him again.

I called Bob about the job, and we set up a time for a few days later that was convenient for both of us. He gave me an estimate over the phone, and since he's done several jobs for me, I accepted. He came on time and immediately started patching the holes in the drywall. Then while the mud was drying, he looked at the kitchen cabinet, which had a sagging bottom and shelf. By pulling the cabinet out from the wall, he was able to reset the shelf and turned it upside down to reuse the board, then he screwed the shelf into place from the sides of the cabinet, since it was covered by the fridge. He put a new floor in the cabinet because the old one was caving in. Then I asked him about renovating the bathroom downstairs. He gave me an estimate of $1450 for the labor for replacing a shower, vanity, floor, ceiling fan and the fixtures. We agreed that we would purchase the smaller items and we would give him the SKUs for the bigger items and he would pick them up for us. He estimated that the work would take 3 or 4 days. We will probably have him do this job in the near future. We have always been satisfied with his work, he is punctual, creative, has a fair price and has good ideas about how to fix things.

The project was completed in a professional and efficient manner, including accurate record keeping. Each day began with a review of what was scheduled to be done, and the day ended with a review of what had been completed. The estimated budget was based on the in-stock prices of Lowes and Home Depot -- cost adjustments were based on choices we made and were based on store special order prices. Labor costs were based on a set price established in the project estimate, and payment provided on a weekly basis. We interviewed four firms for the work on our home. None had the skill set and range of experience of Bob and Caroline. Their references were excellent and they lived up to their billing. We would highly recommend this firm to those interested in a high quality product, and in an efficient management of the remodeling process. The highest compliment we can pay is that we would gladly use their services again!

Everything was satisfactory. He was in the act of moving when I called him, but still agreed to come the following day. He was on time and the work was well-done. He is very good about letting you know about arrival time and sticking to it. The fee was extremely reasonable, as well. We have had him back to do other jobs, since.

Sent an email to Bob with the list of things I needed done, and asked to schedule an estimate. Bob very promptly responded, thanking us for considering him, however, mentioned he was in the process of relocating to Spotsylvania and was no longer taking on work in the the Vienna area as it's too far to travel.

We can't begin to tell you what a super experience we had. Not only are Bob and Carolyn professional and trustworthy but they do high-quality work and reasonable prices. They're also very accommodating and personable. We would use them again in a minute!

Mr. Birch and his wife Carolyn work as a team. They were punctual, and if they were going to be as little as 5 minutes late, they called me. He always arrived when he said he would. They accomplshed a lot in a short period of time. What I most appreciated was that they assumed nothing and made sure they were delivering exactly what I wanted. Very refreshing.

It is a husband and wife team and they are terrific. They were prompt, reasonably priced, and did excellent work. I would highly recommend them.

We are getting the house ready to sell and needed professional help in several areas. Called Bob and set up an appointment for an estimate. They were able to come over earlier than they originally thought and after reviewing all the work that needed to be done they gave us an estimate. Since they were starting a big project building a deck, they said that it would be three weeks before they could start but if it rained the next several days they could do the smaller jobs. It did rain so they were able to do the smaller jobs. That took two full days and several hours on the third. Three weeks later they called and said that they could start the kitchen ceiling. The ceiling took six days to complete. During the project Bob ran into several problems but was able to figure out solutions keeping the extra labor cost reasonable. He also came up with some good ideas that added to the value of the kitchen.The kitchen ceiling was a big, messy job but was well worth it. The kitchen looks beautiful. Since Carolyn injured her foot the night before they were to start the kitchen Bob did most of the "dirty" work himself. She was able to help later that week plus she did do a lot of the dry wall work herself when they were here in late March. Both Bob and Carolyn are honest, hard working people. They were alway professional and always pleasant to be around. They arrived when they said they would and worked continuously only stopping for lunch. We would definitely have them do other work for us again.

There was no project. He gave us a quote and immediately backed out.

The owner, Bob Birch, and his wife Carolyn did an excellent job and were very pleasant to work with. He responded promptly to my call and provided a reasonable cost estimate which did not vary. They were both very efficient and provided quality work. He even reinstalled, at no cost, a section of molding which we agreed needed a better finish. He also made a few minor fixes to an entrance door at no cost.

Bob Birch and his wife Carolyn are a fantastic team. From the initial estimate to final inspection, they were focused on getting the job done right, on time and on budget. As with any job of this size, there were several unexpected challenges that Bob overcame with ease. I felt very comfortable leaving my wife and daughter at home with Bob and Carolyn. Bob's craftsmanship was excellent. Without hesitation, Bob did all the extra work the county inspector required, even though it was not considered as part of this initial estimate. I would highly recommend The Resident Handyman for any home remodeling job.

It seems like it has been done successfully. It has been raining lately and I haven't seen anything. They were very punctual and polite. They explained everything estimated would remedy the problem. They were easy to work with and I would work with them again.

I was going to have them perform this work for us, but then I found a company that could do all this work and more. He seemed very nice. He was professional, yet very friendly and talkative. ($5,500.00)

He repaired a faucet, did some drywall, mounted a microwave. Just a bunch of small things. He does a really great job. He always works efficiently, and is extremely punctual. I think his prices are fair too. He's very capable and is very skilled.

I called and e-mailed on Sunday, Oct. 19th. A week later, I've received no response. I'm sorry to give this grade, but when you call AND send an e-mail, it's reasonable to expect quicker than that.

This is a husband and wife team and are pleasant to have around. Since they were working in my office they were very conscientious about my work schedule and appointments.

My experience with him was good. He arrived on time and the quality of the work was excellent. The price was what I thought was reasonable. I would recommend him and use him again in the future.

My experience with him was good. He arrived on time and the quality of the work was excellent. The price was what I thought was reasonable. I would recommend him and use him again in the future.