A Better Handyman

He did a very professional job, was very accommodating and flexible regarding materials, approach, etc. He communicated with me every step of the way to ensure I was apprised of any changes and difficulties. He took the time to befriend the dog but was still done quickly. Mark cleaned up as he went and I had nothing to do (paint will come later) after he'd left other than train the dog to use her new private entrance.

OMG, after the ongoing fiasco with practically all other handymen I contacted, he is a such a terrific find! He is responsive and punctual (what a concept!) and he is well-versed in just about any aspect of remodeling and repair. Though only knowing him a short while, I trust him implicitly and until I move from the area, he will be my go-to person in anything related to home remodeling and repair.

unknown

He was referred to me by a neighbor, who I trust completely. That being said, I could never pin him down to an estimate. First I asked for an estimate and he said how nothing for that type of work is firm. Then I asked for a range. He still was wishy. Then I asked him how much he charges by the hour, and he said $40. [Apparently he thought I was asking and quot;how much do you charge to shop for me?and quot; -- because there was a point where he asked if I wanted to pick up the materials or have him do it, and I guess his brain went back to that.] So we go ahead, with me thinking he was charging $40 an hour. I knew he had quoted $600 as the total [materials and labor and disposal cost] to replace the hot water tank, the only thing he gave me a firm quote on, so I was tracking how much time was spent on that so I wouldn't be double-charged. In addition to the items he ultimately fixed that are listed above, we were considering lighting and carpentry.
In his shopping trip he got the wrong finish on the kitchen faucet and had to go back to exchange it. He worked about 8 hours including the shopping [but not including the exchange trip] and so I figured the labor portion would come to $320. He said it would be $600. Whoa! At tht point I expressed my frustration in not having been able to get even a verbal cost commitment. Normally I would have stopped right there and not hired him but because of the neighbor referral I thought it would be OK. We had a long discussion and settled on $500 for the labor. He was respectful and listened during this discussion. He explained his convoluted system as and quot;I don't just charge a flat rate, I charge differently for different things -- different rate for plumbing, electrical, carpentry, shopping, etc.and quot; I said and quot;Why didn't you just tell me those rates?and quot; He was silent. I said and quot;I don't think you know them.and quot; He insisted he did.
I do believe Mark is an honest person, but that his system for rate structure is screwed up and Top Secret. I will say his plumbing work was excellent. He asked if I was happy with his work and seemed happy when I said yes. Only problem is that, unfortunately, there's more to business than excellent work. If you can pin him down to a firm written quote-range, then I would use him. Otherwise not, unless money is not a problem for you. The Overall and Professionalism ratings are a B because of the labor estimate/cost fiasco, otherwise I would have given him A on both. If I could pin him down on pricing I would use him again, but it was exhausting.