Appearance Services LLC

Very pleased with the work done by Appearance Services! The power washing and staining job turned out better than we could have expected. Bill was very thorough, responsive and informative with his work, which we very much appreciated. He was incredibly helpful as we picked a stain color that best fit our home and very professional throughout the entire process. We will be calling Alliance Services next time around and would definitely recommend him.

This is a long story, so please bear with me until the end. We were looking to refinish our deck so that our toddler would not get splinters anymore. We had already gotten a few quotes when I first met with Bill from Appearance Services LLC initially on weekend. We had previously received a low quote of $1,400 to power wash and repaint the deck with solid stain (2 coats) from another company, but Bill provided a scope of work more in line with what we were looking for, with replacing the handrails, sanding certain areas, and applying elastomeric coating instead of solid stain. Bill was chatty, but friendly enough and based on his representations, we believed Bill would do a more thorough job than the other companies that quoted for the work. Bill also offered a 3 year workmanship guarantee and assured us that although the deck was fairly old, the deck would look practically like new when he was done. In hindsight I suppose there were some warning signs. Bill told a story of a negative experience working for another elderly woman customer on a different job who he said fed him ice out of a "dog bowl." He had asked for ice water and the woman had refused, but offered to bring him ice, which she brought in a an old faded Cool Whip container. I realized this was not very professional at the time for Bill to speak ill of past customers, but I let it pass because I thought he was just being talkative. He also said he was very anxious to get the work because his mother had passed recently and he was having trouble collecting his inheritance. As I understood him to be someone who had recently lost someone, I gave him more leeway as a result. We exchanged emails a few times after receiving the estimate as Bill was very anxious to get the work. Bill's initial quote was $4,020. As this was significantly higher than our low quote, we asked if Bill could do the work for $3,500 and he agreed. When Bill came by to formalize the contract, he also lost our $1,000 deposit check within 5 minutes of receiving it, and had to search everywhere to find it before leaving. Work started off fine with the power washing and hand rail work, although some of the bleach used in the power washing ran off onto one of our bushes and killed a stripe out of one of our bushes. While replacing boards, Bill also cut the angle wrong on one board so that there was a large gap between the two boards. We had elected to replace another board for the same reason, so we were not very happy there was such a large gap. The painting of the vertical surfaces also took longer than expected and Bill initially neglected to fill in some cracks that he had represented he would take care of and had included in the narrative description of his contract. Bill took twice as long as expected with the vertical surfaces because he realized he needed two coats instead of the one he had quoted. Finishing up the second coat, Bill and the other man on his crew worked into the evening hours after it had already gotten very dark. We didn't even realize they were still out there, and when we did we turned all of the lights on so he could see what he was doing. Bill offered to cover the two coats on the vertical surfaces for free because he had only quoted one (and had already went ahead and did the work), but he said he would need a contract increase to do two coats on the horizontal surfaces. In order to make everything match (and to make it look as good as Bill had promised), we agreed to increase the contract amount to cover a second coat for the whole deck. Bill began coming at odd hours from there on, not showing up until 5PM or later and working in the evening after it had gotten very dark. He finished the last of the horizontal surfaces mere hours before an epic multi-day rainstorm after showing up late in the afternoon the same day. At Bill's request, we paid him nearly the full amount the same day he finished the horizontal surfaces although there were some few remaining items he remanded were not yet complete. This is where things started to really go down-hill. When Bill was working on replacing boards earlier in the job, my father-in-law had asked to borrow Bill's saw to cut some boards for an unrelated project he was working on for their condo. Admittedly, this was not a good idea from the start, but I was not there when my father-in-law asked to borrow it. Although my father-in-law used the saw for only a short while and followed instructions and cleaned and returned the saw when done, Bill wrote me a few days later accusing my father-in-law of breaking the saw and asking me to cover a full replacement. I told Bill to bring the saw by so we could look at it and that we would consider buying it from him at a reasonable cost based on its depreciated value before it was broken. Bill was affronted that we would ask to see the saw and he initially refused, then agreed to show it, but ultimately never did. Separately, Bill had accused my in-laws of taking his paintbrush when they had never even touched it. Bill's contract also said he would come back a couple of days after everything was completed to do touch up work. Bill came back out to power-wash our house under a separate scope of work, but was very angry when we pointed out the large gap between the boards that he had missed some cracks that he had failed to fill. He did ultimately fill those cracks, however. Later, when my wife went out on the deck a few days later, she stepped on a nail that Bill had left and actually painted in the course of doing the other work. She began looking around and found another nail the exact same way. She also discovered huge splinters sticking up that we assumed would have been taken care of when Bill promised to sand certain areas, fill cracks, and paint with the elastomeric coating. I asked him to come out and examine his work in the light of day (since he had been previously completing some work in the dark) and to provide his "sign-off" that the work met the standard of quality that he represented for his company. When we pointed these items out to Bill over email, he was again offended that we pointed anything out that he had missed and reluctantly agreed to come out and take a look. When Bill came out the last time, he arrived while I was still out. I had told him that I was taking my daughter to soccer practice in the morning at 10 AM, but he arrived sometime between 10 AM and 11AM. When I went out on the deck, to show him the items we had noted, he immediately became extremely defensive. He demanded to know what I wanted him to sign. I told him that I didn't literally need him to sign anything, just examine the work and provide his "sign-off" that it was done to the level of quality he represented for his company. Bill then started cursing at me (in front of my daughter) and said "This happens every time I deal with Indians!" [my wife and my in laws are Indian]. Thoroughly insulted at Bill's incredibly offensive and racist comment, I demanded that Bill leave immediately. (Full disclosure, I believe I actually told him to pack up his s*&t and leave immediately). As he continued to mumble harsh words while packing up his stuff, I went outside to ensure he was leaving promptly. He came out and said "Yes, sir, what do you want?" I told him that I had just wanted to meet and talk with like a man, but I didn't expect him to curse me out in front of my children in a racist manner. Bill shouted back that we got everything we paid for and more and that he doesn't care what I think because this does happen every time he deals with Indians. I told him that if he wasn't off my property in 5 minutes I was calling the police. He yelled "I don't care if you call Barack Obama" into the calm of our suburban neighborhood and shouted that everyone knows that Indians f^%^*ing do this. To say the least, we were not happy with the job, and this was the single most unprofessional experience I have ever had in my life. Although Bill's work was actually not bad except for some missed items, I could not in good conscience recommend him to anyone lest they have a similar experience. Avoid at all costs. ***UPDATED 10/24/201

Billy was quick to return our call and schedule an initial estimate of the deck. He was very thorough in explaining his process and the reasoning behind his recommendations. Billy is quite knowledgeable and experienced in his field. We elected to have the entire deck refinished with elastomeric coating. We also elected to replace approximately 11 rotting boards. Billy set reasonable expectations of what the deck would look like when finished, indicating the deck would not look brand new, but would prove to be a drastic improvement over the current condition. He also finished the project ahead of schedule, meeting a deadline we had set for a gather we were having at the house. We are very pleased with the work Billy and his team performed, including quality, value and professionalism. We'd certainly hire again.

Excellent!

Excellent. Mike Power's was professional and fixed what another company couldn't. He was honest and didn't charge an arm or a leg!

Bill Myer was nice and we settled on a date. He brought his painter on the day agreed on. I thought he worked a little slower than I would have preferred. As it turned out, he was not able to finish all the shutters on just one side of the house, nor was he able to paint the exterior door. I had to offer Bill another $100 to have him complete just the shutters on the one side of the house. It may be that the surface preparation just took more time than I had estimated. Overall, I am satisfied the their work.

Bill and his helper were punctual and professional. Not only did they power wash my deck, but also sanded parts of the wood. They finished quicker than I had expected. They also made my two garage doors look brand new. Fabulous work!! Thank you.

The job went great. Bill and his team had a bit of an erratic arrival schedule, but it looks great and he made true to his word and came back to do a few additional final touches even after he was paid.

<p>We found Bill on Angie List, where we get most of our referrals.  Upon first contact, Bill was prompt in responding and continuing his follow up.  It was great to text back and forth (my preference) and he understood my need to get our project done soon.  For efficiency purposes, he even saved time by having me send him pics of our pool decking and walkways needing powerwashing to give a quote, instead of coming out.  He quickly gave us a very fair quote and walked me through the process he uses to power wash.  </p> <p>He just completed our project and went way above what was expected with stunning results!  He found other areas (our gate, a large boulder, face board of our deck steps, etc.) that he power washed that we had not even discussed.  He showed up when he said he would, moved all of our furniture and put it all back once finished.  I just cannot emphasize enough how amazing the results are.  He is clearly very experienced and thorough in his work.  Oh, he is also very personable!</p> <p>I can highly recommend Bill as an experienced, reputable and reasonably priced contractor.</p>

Bill called me on a Saturday to respond to my message on Angie's list.  He was willing to come out the next day, on Sunday, to get the estimate done.  Bill arrived at our agreed upon time.  The estimate did not take long. <br>I heard from one other company that claimed to be backed up until late June because of the rainy May, but Bill got right to work and had our deck pressure washed and stained by the following Friday after the estimate.   <br>My wife and I are very pleased with the quality of the work and with our experience dealing with Appearance Services.  We especially liked the efficiency of getting the job done quickly but thoroughly.   <br>My one small complaint is that they did not adequately cover our heat pump and got stain splattered on it.  To their credit they did clean it off and it looks fine now, but I would have preferred they took some basic precautions and covered the unit.  Even so, I would still call them again if I had to have the deck stained again in the future. <br> <br> <br>

Appearance Services did a wonderful job breathing new life into our old, unmaintained deck which was in need of some carpentry and serious tlc. The company is very professional and responsive. The owner is easy to reach and customer happiness is clearly their top priority.  They offer a 3 year warranty. All of the staff are very nice. They move all your furniture off your deck and then you put it back. They did a nice job cleaning up after they were done, including nails because we have small kids.  I will definitely hire them again and refer friends. Our deck looks great and we are now looking forward to using it all summer.  <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br>

Bill was extremely responsive in comparison to inquires I made with other contractors. He was straight forward in regard to pricing. He provided an emailed copy of what to expect with the work to be done and what the cost would be. Bill finished the job as agreed upon and even power washed fencing that I had enquired about for a later job, but did on his own without extra charge.

<p>I was very pleased with the work performed by Bill and his team of Appearance Services, would recommend them to anyone, and will strongly consider using him for future projects around my house.  The three reason for this are not only his competitive pricing and quality workmanship but more importantly his customer service.  Bill and his team were very engaged in working with me on understanding my requirements, flexible and reasonable when they were modified, and always providing me regular updates on their current progress as well as future efforts.</p> The project Bill conducted for me was repairing and painting a fairly worn large deck.  While initially a simple clean, prep and one color paint job, as the project evolved, a couple of changes came up that required modifying the original proposal.  Bill was very flexible and reasonable in discussing the changes that were both necessary (demo and replace rotted stairs) and cosmetic (three colors vs the original one).  Like his original estimate, the amount for these change orders was also reasonable.  Bill and his dedicated, friendly team did an outstanding job overall and until the end, he was engaged with me ensuring I was happy with the finished product.  This included a walk through of the finished product and his quick follow up to address any discrepancies.  Due to his work load at the time, he was also able to perform some other impromptu work I requested of him (power wash house and repair a fence).  His price and performance of these projects were reasonable and conducted with the same excellence and  attention to detail as his efforts with my deck project.  <br> <br>Bottom line, I strongly recommend him.  

Bill and team were hired to refinish our aging deck and gazebo.  They pressure washed, sanded, and even worked diligently to remove debris between each deck board.  They also replaced latticework below the deck, the hand rail around the deck, and the gazebo screen door.  Once the prep was completed they stained all surfaces.  Communication was very good throughout the process.  All work was completed per the original estimate.  We are very satisfied with the work performed. <br />

Appearance did a great job. Bill came over within a day after I made the initial phone call to explain what they offered, and which products might work best for my wrap around deck, considering what I wanted to achieve--durable and long lasting protection of the deck. After accepting the very reasonable proposal ($1300 for power washing and the staining), Bill's group started work within a day. The overall job took two and one-half days (power washing and staining). Bill's manager Matt was extremely informative about how the work was going, and made recommendations for future work that will improve the function of the deck. The team did a great job, pleasing my wife, and the deck has received quite a few compliments from neighbors. They went above and beyond the call, staining underneath the deck's benches, and staining wood that was not part of the deck but was part of a retaining wall--all at no extra charge. I would recommend them to anyone else in a heart beat. <br />

<ol> <ol> <ol> <ol> <li></li> <li>This project was scheduled to begin in late February in order to finish work before trees started dropping debris on deck (which sits below many varieties of trees that begin blooming at different times) which would have made painting the deck very difficult.  The details are outlined below:</li> <li></li> </ol> </ol> </ol> </ol> <ul> <ul> <li>After a combination of weather delays and vehicle breakdowns, Bill Myers, owner of Appearance Services, rented a Home Depot truck to deliver several pieces of top rail lumber.  He also provided several smaller pieces from scrap of other jobs.  </li> <li></li> <li>After Bill installed the railing, the next step was power washing the deck.  Bill and an assistant worked all day until dark and the cleaned deck looked refurbished, but exposed many pieces of decking in need of replacement.  Bill and I discussed the deck flooring to be replaced and he provided an updated price quote which I agreed to.</li> <li></li> </ul> </ul> It was at this point in the project that Bill began arriving late and leaving early without notifying me of his departure.  After several delays in the delivery of the decking lumber, Bill showed up late once again and left early, with his assistant Matt saying they were going to "rent a saw" and would return later in the day.  They never returned and it was left to me to wait until 4:30 that afternoon to accept the lumber delivery.  They also left their tools scattered on the deck, and with rain imminent, I had to gather the tools (including a plugged-in battery charger), and cover them with a tarp to avoid rain damage. <br /> I received word the next day that Bill was ill and required hospitalization.  In an ironic twist, that was the positive turning point in a project that was plodding along at a pace which would never have been completed before the tree debris began falling. <br />  Bill had just hired a new employee who took over responsibility of the job and immediately contacted a skilled carpenter to help get the job back on track and completed in a timely manner.  Within a time frame of only several days, the deck was repaired, painted and looked great (except for the carpentry work done by Bill).  It was at this time I went on the deck and realized the carpentry work (top rail installation, replacement of a small rotted corner area) was very poorly done with large gaps in all corner cuts of the top railing and the corner repair being redone by the carpenter due to poor quality work. <br /> Once released from the hospital, Bill returned to have the old decking disposed of, and spoke to me briefly regarding his health.  He spoke with Matt briefly, then left for the day. <br /> That evening I received a shocking revised estimate from Bill for an additional $814.00 which included $515.00 for additional lumber.  The carpenter and Matt were skilled to the point they had enough lumber left over to replace several additional floor boards, which they volunteered to do without any discussion of additional cost. <strong>No additional lumber was purchased, </strong>and having been hospitalized and not on site, Bill had no clue what had been discussed and agreed to in his absence. <br /> Upon receiving his latest estimate, I immediately emailed Bill stating that at no point had he and I discussed, much less agreed on, this revised estimate, and not only was it unprofessional, it was also unjustified, and under no condition would I pay the additional cost.  I also told Bill I wanted no further contact with him, and would work with Matt to straighten out the debacle that Bill created. <br /> Disregarding my instructions, Bill initiated a manic, frantic attempt to contact me by calling my home over half a dozen times in rapid succession.  My wife contact me with this information and I instructed her to ignore the calls. <br /> Matt arrived the next day and removed all inflated and fraudulent  charges after which I paid him the agreed upon price. <br /> I sent Bill an email stating my displeasure with his actions, indicated I was finished dealing with his unprofessional conduct, and told him not to have any more contact with me.  I also told him to expect a poor review on Angie's List.  Disregarding my wishes again, Bill immediately followed with a thread of emails that could be construed as intimidating, with phrases such as, but not limited to "...you'd rather screw all my finances and right (sic) my second bad review."  "That's terrible John but if (sic) makes you sleep go wright (sic) a bad review and effect (sic) my income real nice."  These rantings continued until Bill ran out of steam, without any response from me.  Make what you will of these examples, but I believe they are an enlightening  view into Bill's way of doing business. <br /> Believe it or not, this is a condensed summary of my nightmare dealing with Bill. <br /> The little actual carpentry work Bill performed was amateurish and poorly done.  The fact he was hospitalized and had nothing to do with the completion of the job makes rating his work easy.  The creation of the unknown phantom invoice speaks volumes about his character.  The work of his assistant Matt and the carpenter he acquired made the completed deck (excluding the top rail) look like new.  My graded review took all this into account, and I have tried to grade Appearance Services objectively. <br /> It should be noted that Matt promptly quit Bill's company after this fiasco, so I have no idea if Bill has been able to acquire any new employees.  It would behoove anyone contemplating hiring Appearance Services to ask Bill if he has hired any new talented help. <br /> Since Appearance Services consistently received excellent reviews, the problems I encountered during my dealings with Bill were not expected, but I believe Angie's List subscribers should be aware of my experience and use this information to make an informed choice when hiring contractors. <br />

Bill and his team were very nice and professional and gave us helpful advice on the deck.  The finished deck is beautiful. He was very diligent in making sure I was completely satisfied with all his work.  His price was less than the other estimates.  I would definitely use his services again and have referred him to neighbors. <br />

unknown

unknown

Our deck was in much need of power washing, maintenance, and repainting before the winter weather set in. It had a lot of lichen and dead leaf residue on it, which made it slippery and unsightly. When we called Appearance Services LLC, the owner Bill came to the rescue quickly, and gave us a free estimate of services to restore our deck. It was clear that Bill knew his stuff--and is an expert in his field. <br /> After considering his recommendation to go with a paint that not only makes the deck looks nice, but also protects and seals it for many years to come, we're very happy with the quality of his team's work. They were all very professional while also friendly. We really appreciated the owner coming out to oversee the work throughout the process, and for staying in contact with us along the way to make sure we were happy. We would definitely recommend Appearances Services to our friends, family, and neighbors (and already have). Thanks, Bill! <br />

I dealt with Bill and found the experience to be unusal among my dealings with other companies that offered home services: He gave a fair and reasonable quote, showed up when he said he'd show up, did the work in the time he anticipated, and it cost exactly what he quoted. And the quality of the work was very good. I wanted the exterior window trim painted on my house to get it ready for winter. Bill was easy to deal with, very professional, responsive in communicating with me - the whole nine yards. Next spring I plan to have the entire house painted and will definitely call Bill for a quote. <br />

On time, thorough explanation full of details, extremely meticulous in work and in the quality of the workmanship.  I highly recommend his services. <br />

Everything is wonderful.  Appearance Services arrived on time and my rooms are now painted looking fresh and great.  Bill Myers and his foreman Henry are extremely professional.  The service is truly amazing.  When I got home and realized  the color I picked did not turn out the way I imagined, Appearance Services repainted the areas again with  another color choice.  This all happened within the same week.  I did not have to look at my original bad color choice any longer than I could stand it. <br /> I sincerely thank Appearance Services for their patience and understanding.  It feels so nice to have a great paint job with satisfactory color.  Its so calming and relaxing for me now sitting in my newly painted rooms.   <br />

Excellent job start to finish, great attention to detail, recommended excellent products to refinish the deck and railings, applied custom paint finish (copper paint) to two decorative roofs restoring them to like-new condition, after pressure-washing the siding and trim the house looks like new <br />

Bill was great! <br /> He called me shortly after I left him a message after hours as I had a somewhat urgent situation as our home was going to settlement and needed power washing to pass the HOA inspection. He said he would complete the job Thursday and in fact followed up with m eon Wednesday (the morning after I contacted him) to notify me he was able to complete the job earlier. <br /> He sent me before and after pictures as I was out of town and I was able to make payment over the phone with him. <br /> Quick response, great follow up, before and after pictures are what I consider to be excellent service. <br /> I would recommend Bill and his company to anyone seeking a great power washing company. <br /> Thank again Bill! <br /> <br />