Get matched with top wood stairs and railings repairers in Covington, LA

"SUMMARY: SES did high quality work. They stuck to the projected cost. They finished within the estimated timeframe (or at least close enough). PRELIMINARY STAGES: SES promptly returned our initial call and set up a visit by their estimator. Within a very reasonable timeframe (maybe a little more than a week), we had the estimate in hand. In contrast, we were shocked to see how difficult it was to deal with some other contractors--even in the early stage, when we were trying to give them business. DETAILS OF THE JOB: They gutted ~50% of a ~180 sq ft bathroom to the studs; did some framing/re-framing; removed a large tub and patched in some hardwood; completely re-did the mortar bed/tile/plumbing for the shower; re-routed an HVAC intake to a different part of the house; moved/added some plumbing and electrical; installed a new commode and tile floor in a new toilet closet; hung crown molding; installed a double vanity with a stone top; hung a large mirror and frameless shower door; built out 2 closets. QUALITY. Their renovation was high quality and fit perfectly into our 1930’s arts-and-crafts home. They found, sanded, and painted an old 5 panel door to match the doors in rest of the house. The salvaged/refinished pine floor fits into the existing pine floor seamlessly, and the new trim work matches that in the rest of the house. Their tile guy did an outstanding job on the shower—floor to ceiling with a bullnose and a niche. The subs they used for the vanity/stone top and for the mirror/shower door did a high quality job. We designed our closets and the trim carpenter built them out perfectly (soft-close drawers and all). COMMUNICATION. This was a big asset to the SES experience. Ashley kept us posted with an email almost every day. We knew what to expect when we got home from work, as well as what to look for the next day and the rest of the week. In the rare event that there were surprises or delays, Ashley would let us know right away as well as what the resolution would be. While Ashley was the main line of communication, the owner, Shawn, was very accessible as well when necessary. PROFESSIONALISM. All the people we interacted with were professional and punctual. The workers were respectful of us and our home, and they did a great job cleaning up every day. With very few exceptions, people were at the house every weekday (and even some weekend days), from the start to the finish of the project. THE UNEXPECTED. As the work proceeded, some minor structural damage from the old shower had to be addressed and the hot water heater needed some repairs. These were taken care off in a time- and cost-efficient manner. Otherwise, there were a few miscommunications regarding the electrical rough ins, a plumbing valve, the closet build outs, and the shower door. All these were very minor and easily addressed. Along the way—and especially as things neared the end—Shawn made sure we had everything exactly the way we wanted it. This was our first time hiring a contractor. Before our renovation, we had heard many contractor-related horror stories. Our experience with SES was drastically different. We are already scheduling another project with them."

I am a carpenter with over 40 years of experience. I started working with my father at the age of 13. I recently relocated from Colorado where I have had my own cabinet and remodeling company for over 20 years. I specialize in all aspects interior design, build and installation of fine cabinetry.

Mr. Handyman of Covington–Slidell stands apart from the typical solo handyman. As a professional, locally owned company, we bring licensed, insured, and background-checked technicians to every job. Our work is backed by proven systems, reliable scheduling, and a commitment to excellence you can count on. We combine skilled craftsmanship with professionalism, accountability, and customer-first service—every time.

"Mr. Woods made repairs in a timely and professional manner as quoted."

"Bob's price was in line with other quotes I got for the work.  The work began later than promised.  Apparently, the company misplaced my email with the signed contract.  That said, they DID put me in the queue as if they had received the email when I sent it, so it was only delayed about 1 week.  The worker showed up on time and spent about 5 hours repairing the porch.  He came back the next day and painted - another 4-5 hours total.  The problems with the work were this:  He repaired the holes and was able to make one side of the stucco look smooth, yet the side that the holes had been on was finished in a manner that makes the edifice of the lower part of the porch look very different on one side than on the other side.  The person who did the repair obviously used some sort of Bondo mixture to create a surface, which is fine, but why not smooth out the finish so that it looks like the side that did not need the Bondo mixture?  In addition to the surface smoothness issue, the paint job on the porch cap and steps (where people actually walk) is already started to peel, and little spots of red (the previous color of the porch) are showing up beneath the new blue paint.  This happened within 1 week of the work.  It seems like I shouldn't have to touch up/repaint portions of my porch just 1 week after they did the work.  The price, for 9-10 hours of work, seems to be a bit much.  Subtracting the cost of materials, we're looking at about $100-$125/hour for labor for a job that wasn't done very well.  
I emailed Bob several times after the work was done and he referred me to an email he sent where it stated that "It would certainly be better to replace the stucco.  I can only do repairs.  You would need a stucco person to take the old off and replace completely.  It will be more costly, but a permanent fix."  Fair enough, Bob, but the word "repair" means to "make as close to new as possible".  I wasn't asking for the worker to remove and replace stucco, but to "repair" it means to make it look smooth and uniform across the whole lower portion of the porch.  I eventually talked to Bob on the phone and he kept repeating "we don't know how to do stucco", yet, somehow, they DID know how to create a Bondo-type mixture and repair holes, etc.  If you can spread a mixture onto the edifice of a wall, you can spread it on evenly and smoothly (which they didn't do).  The end result was that Bob refused to have the work redone or actually fully "repaired".  So, I have a newly painted porch that has a lot of spots where the old paint is coming through, and a porch lower portion that shows very clearly where repairs were made.  It just looks bad overall.

Update 10/1/15
After reading Bob's Painting's response, I contacted them and asked them to make good on their promise to come and add another coat of paint to my porch.  They said that they would be able to do that, an a few weeks later, they did come and add another coat of paint to my porch cap.  I appreciate the follow up with this."

"The pads came out beautifully and fit perfectly. My table is an unusual size and goes from round to oval when expanded. The pads look great and if I wanted I could even leave them on all the time. They fit together easily and they're easy to put on and remove"

"I was referred to this engineer after the city recommended my property be demolished. Mr. Crockett visited my property within a few hours of my call and determined the property was structurally sound. He provided me with a letter on the same day, and also gave me additional advice on the next steps to advocate for my property with the city. He was pleasant, professional and speedy."

"They did major remodeling of my home and business. They did a fantastic job, they were quick, they brought the proper people in to do the job right. They did everything from power washing, to painting, to various repairs. His work was excellent."

"Great ! Hired David for other needed repair issues . Arrived promptly and knew exactly what to do . There was no charge since he had worked on this area before . A part wore out, no charge for replacement . Would I hire him again ? Yes indeed !"

"Excel Renovations did an OUTSTANDING job in handling our home repairs need following two separate hurricanes. In both instances we found their work to be superior and the work was done on time and on budget. We know them to be reliable and dependable - and will certainly use them again in the future, as the need arrises."