This is a long overdue review to thank Bob and his assistant for a great job back in October 2014. I'd read reviews of other companies, and was grateful to find all the outstanding reviews here on Yelp. They convinced me to call him. Bob was exactly as quick and helpful in responding to my email as others have described, and called me within a couple hours. He was extremely flexible about the crazy schedule I had to work around: the second floor apartment a young female relative was scheduled to move into on October 1st had a window right on the fire escape and I didn't want her to move in until gates had been installed. Also, this particular fire escape had a small balcony, also right outside the window, making the situation even more urgent.
When I spoke to Bob around 4:00 pm on the Monday before the Wednesday move-in date, he offered to come to the apartment around 7:00 p.m.--that very evening. Then, it turned out the relative couldn't get the keys to the apartment until Wednesday. No problem. I had no trouble reaching Bob to reschedule for later that week. As it turned out, we couldn't coordinate everything to let Bob in until Friday or Saturday, but he was fine with our changing situation.
When he arrived, he took a look at the four-bedroom apartment, and convinced me there was no need to put gates on the other seven windows. I was skeptical, because I was concerned for the young people who would be sharing the apartment, of whom three were women. He also convinced me there was no need for two window gates in my relative's room, because only one directly faced the fire escape. Since the other window would have an air conditioner in it, all it needed were window bars, which were cheaper.
Again, I was skeptical, being particularly protective of my relative, who would be living in a neighborhood that isn't in the best part of Washington Heights. I had trouble understanding Bob's drawing of the window bars he recommended. I think it took me about a half hour before I finally understood, with the help of my relative. Even though I'm a visual artist, it took me quite a while to understand why the bars themselves would be enough, partly because I was being so protective of my young female family member. But when I finally understood why we didn't need full guards on both windows, finally I agreed. Bob didn't try to pressure me at all, and spent a good deal of time trying to help me understand, in effect, why the window didn't need a gate and could save a little money. Only after i was comfortable with getting bars Bob took measurements.
He said it would take a week to make the custom-size windows, but that wasn't any longer than I'd been quoted by a local store--I think they would have taken two weeks. I asked Bob if he needed a deposit, and he said I could pay him when he installed the windows. But I wanted to be fair to him, and gave him $400 cash, for which he gave me a receipt.
The gates and bars were ready on schedule, and Bob and his assistant installed them quickly and neatly. They even offered to add some nails for two curtain fixture that weren't firmly in place. Bob showed me how to open both the bars (which included a lock) and the gate, which couldn't have been easier to open, and I understand meets NYC Fire Department requirements. I think he charged me under $800, maybe $780, for both the gate and the bars.
The gates are about as beautiful as one could hope, given their purpose. They're painted an enamel white that complemented the white trim on the peach colored walls.
I realize this glowing review might sound over the top, but it was just such reviews that convinced me to call Bob. I'm glad I did, but apologize for taking so long to write this review. The delay resulted from the same crazy schedule that made it so difficult to schedule the initial appointment with Bob, for which he was more than understanding and flexible. Again, my gratitude to Bob (and his assistant, I think his name is Michael)--and to the other reviewers who have taken time to share their experiences here. read more