Wooden Hammer

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My first impression was Ben arriving to meet us for the first time, EXACTLY on time and with his dog in tow.  I knew immediately it was going to be a good fit.  Throughout the duration of the renovations (a few months) he kept in contact with us and kept us apprised of his progress.  We are located over 2 hours away, so we were not able to monitor things as he went along.  
We made a few minor adjustments to our initial plan, which he accommodated graciously.  
In the end, the work done was spectacular, on budget and on time.  I would absolutely recommend Ben at Wooden Hammer to anyone looking to have work done.

Ben was always responsive to our requests, provided a fair, reasonable cost estimate in writing, and scheduled and completed the work on time and within his estimate.  Getting a written estimate from construction contractors is nearly impossible in this area - most are just not able to organize themselves and their worksheet.  Ben, however, provided a clear, neat cost list for us compared to two other contractors.  We also had regular communication using email or text messaging, which made it convenient in discussing job variations during the run of play.
he also installed sliding wooden drawers in our kitchen cabinets, which were 1992 vintage but still in good shape.  The extra space and innovative design he used is a welcome change allowing us to remove clutter from the countertops to stow utensils, plates and pans more conveniently.
We are extremely happy with the work Ben did, and would use him again.

Before Ben could build our deck,  he had to first remove a very sub par deck, which would have never passed code even when new, and put in one 50% bigger and 110% safer and more beautiful, than I had even expected. Because, my husband and I both have physical limitations, we really relied on Ben to help make this deck safe and good looking. He helped us pick the best materials (composite) and worked within our budget to get us the things we wanted at the best price.  
I have never seen anyone take such pride in their work, and care in the job that they do. If, anything sums up the quality of my deck, it is my one simple step, going from the house to the deck, A small detail, but, an important one for my husband is a man with balance issues. Ben not only made this step, as an add on after I asked him if he could,  he made it look high end. With all the same attention to detail as the rest of the deck.
He stuck as close to his quote as possible through the changes I tossed his way. I can tell you that his pricing was the best of 4 quotes that we'd gotten. (One quoted us a price  $7,000 over his for the same requested deck.) He is honest, fair, and reliable. His work speaks for it's self, and I'd be happy to show you my deck, anytime.
 As for clean up, well, I don't think, I have even found a left over nail or screw in the grass.

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Ben did a wonderful job on our kitchen remodel which included removal of a wall, new island built with cabinets, new flooring and general kitchen remodel. Ben clearly has a passion for cabinetry and woodworking. We have received wonderful comments on his cabinets and woodworking from friends and other vendors we used (counter install company). Only opportunity we saw for improvement were a couple small things which included price and services performed when a 3rd party contractor was hired by Ben. Overall would give an A and look forward to working with Wooden Hammer in the future.

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We had new kit hen cabinets made and installed. Ben Raphael executed all the work himself. He is a meticulous workman, does beautiful work and  left the site clean and picked up every day. We highly recommend him.

We couldn't be more satisfied with Ben's work:  he performed skilled carpentry, delivered as estimated, and was professional on all accounts:  communications, punctuality, courtesy and clean-up.  

On the most recent assignments, Ben installed oak flooring in three rooms, closets, and hallways. He built a beautiful desk for my office that fits beautifully in the space, and he also built office shelving. His is creative in his analysis and recommendations of what will work well.  I will be hiring him to build kitchen cabinets in the near future.  This is one of his specialties.
Ben has an easygoing personality.  He's also focused on getting the job done and pleasing the client. When questions crop up, he is good about analyzing the choices and making good recommendations. 
I couldn't be more delighted with the results of Ben's most recent work for my business office and home.  Ben is first-rate.

Ben is amazing!  I found his name on Angie's List and he came soon after I called to see what we  wanted done.  There was still snow on the deck!
When he came back to start building, he met with a civil engineer we know to discuss the structure holding up the existing deck (about 10' off the ground) and ended up reinforcing it so it could hold walls and a roof.
We bought 6 skylights and he put them in for us.  When I paid for flooring he said I didn't need that kind and returned it to the lumber yard and bought the correct kind - saving me about $200.
When he was done with the structure and flooring, he returned to put wooden siding against the house where the vinyl siding had been, but first I had him sign the wall underneath.  We are so pleased with the porch and with his precise work. 
If you look at some of the photos at his sight, our porch is shown!

Wooden Hammer provided exceptional service in all aspects of our home improvements by providing an exemplary combination of artisan craftsman skills with 21st century professionalism.    Ben provided us with excellent advice in planning our improvements by suggesting additional options we hadn't previously considered, including a beautiful fine wood cabinet built into a living room wall that other contractors said was not possible.   He provided numerous other custom solutions, adjustments and fixes in response to the unanticipated realities that come with any major home improvement effort.
We were on a tight budget to update our new house, so were very pleased that Ben complements his ample craftsman skills with professional project management.  He diligently managed the project schedule, and was always available via email, phone, SMS, making it much easier to successfully juggle work commitments, daycare, etc. and not feel like we were living in a construction zone.   He suggested several cost saving options and was genuinely interested in helping us get the most out of our money. 
On several occasions, Ben sent real time photo updates on unexpected work (due to rot in the house) that allowed me to review and approve repairs without taking time off from work to go back to the site.   When the schedule began to slip due to delays from suppliers, Ben brought in a crew that allowed him to focus his time on the skilled finish work and still keep the project on schedule and on budget.    Wooden Hammer provided detailed invoices regularly so we could easily track progress against payments.
Any major home improvement project will have numerous curve balls.  Ben routinely hits them out of the park, and does it in a way that lets you enjoy being part of the game.      

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We wanted a wall of cabinets and bookshelves added to the bedroom used as a home office. He came promptly when contacted to take measurements and to discuss what we wanted. Within a few days we had drawings and an estimate and a time table for completing the work. Once we gave him the green light to proceed, he built the cabinets at his shop and a few weeks later made an appointment to install the cabinets and shelves. Nicely constructed and finished. Exactly what we wanted. No problems

It was great.  We were on a pretty tight budget and really weren't sure what exactly we were going to do.  Ben came in with a quote that was about 10,000$ higher than we had anticipated and when we told him he really worked with us to bring it closer to our range without compromising the quality of the job.  He also came with great ideas-we really didn't have anything specific-he was really helpful in our decision making.  The other 4 people we had come out for an estimate didn't really come with any ideas, just asked what we wanted and didn't seem to have the initiative or creativity to work with us to come up with something.  He was really great and we would definitely go to him first with any other work we want done on the house.

Ben arrived on-time (and sometimes early) and worked all day, cleaning up after each day and hauling debris from the project.  He even saved me a few hundred dollars when I'd ordered (and paid for) the wrong lumber for the flooring!   By adding the skylights and the cedar ceiling, and, later having the outside house wall paneled to match the cedar of the porch, the total cost was a couple thousand more than the estimate, but we had expected that given all the changes to the design.  We are very pleased with the cost and his expertise.
Ben was amazing and the porch is wonderful.  Our friends are envious.

Ben came out to look at the house shortly after I contacted him and provided me with an estimate, and he began working on the project within a few weeks. One of the things I like most about Ben is that he understand old houses?that they aren't plumb and that they have anomalies you have to deal with?and he was able to work around the issues our old house presented. The quality of his work was very high, and he was very willing to listen and advise. He stayed on schedule. I felt very lucky to have found him, and would definitely call him again.

Wooden Hammer was a great find.  Ben was professional, listened to my ideas and offered great ideas. He was neat and tidy, cleaned up after the job and punctual.  Ben came when he said he would and called if he was late or needed to change the date. His estimate was accurate and fair. I will use Ben again in the fall for another project.

From the estimate to the last bill I had nothing but a positive experience working with Wooden Hammer.   I hope to have him back again to so some additional work in the future.

Just moved into a new home and wanted a wall of built in cabinets and shelves in the room being used as my office.  Ben provided a quote and a drawing of exactly what I wanted.  The final product was well-built and met my high expectations for what I wanted in the room.  The cabinets and shelves are well built and well-finished.  Installation was delayed a couple of days because he wasn't happy with the finish on the doors and wanted to redo them.  They look perfect.

Having the porch built was amazing.  We had used another builder once before and were dissatisfied.  Not so with Ben. We enjoyed having him around. He was reliable and prompt.  He did a wonderful job - we had a party to celebrate the new porch and everyone was amazed at how nice it is and how well made.

Ben has been wonderful. He is professional, prompt, efficient with his time, and does great quality work. He managed to install an exterior french door in the middle of winter and only have a hole on our wall for less than 2 hours... well done! He does great quality work, and if things aren't just right he has no problem coming back and tweaking things... For example, when he helped install new base cabinets in our kitchen it was very difficult to get them level due to the older way-out-of-level nature of our floors. When the counter-top guys came and asked for some minor tweaks, Ben came back right away... no fuss. I would (and will!) hire him again. Thanks Ben!

Needed doors to close off an area of our home to be used for an office. Wanted someone local and found Ben. He returned my call and discussed the project, then showed up as promised for an estimate. After understanding my needs he proposed a couple different options and sent me the bids a couple days after. I scheduled the job and he got it done as promised, on time. Since our existing opening was not symmetrical, he had to trim the doors to fit so as a result there is a small area at the bottom that is slightly uneven. This has no effect on the functionality of the door, and nobody would notice except me since I sit in the office every day. I am happy overall with this small job. This would have taken me a full weekend no doubt!