Review of John Russel / "All Done Handyman"…read more
I want to warn anyone considering hiring John Russel. My experience with him was a complete nightmare, and I believe he is a fraud.
I first reached out to John for a quote on redoing my deck (flooring, railings, and stairs). At the time, it was hard to even find someone willing to quote, so when a friend referred him, I gave him a call. He showed up within ten minutes, looked at my old deck, and promised me a quote. He also sent me photos of other deck jobs he claimed to have done, which made him seem legitimate. My wife and I even visited his home, met his wife and dogs, and discussed a plan. The arrangement was that I would pay for the material, and he would handle the labor.
A few days later, he called saying he had a vendor in Michigan with composite decking. He sent photos, and while my wife and I had already chosen a color elsewhere, he pushed for us to buy through his contact. He convinced us to buy far more material than needed, saying the extra could be used as skirting. I trusted him, wrote him a check for the material and labor deposit, and kept asking him for a written contract to confirm the labor price, which he did provide much later. He told me the job would take four days.
When work started, he showed up with only one helper instead of the "crew" he promised. Demolition alone took 2.5 days. Then he disappeared for several days before coming back. His work process was erratic--jumping from one section of the deck to another, leaving things unfinished. When I questioned him, he laughed and said he had ADHD. That was the first red flag.
The railings were a disaster. He hacked the posts and cut the caps crooked with a Sawzall, leaving them looking terrible. I told him they needed to be redone. He ended up having to buy replacement pieces he said he didn't have the right size saw blade? . He also failed to install bottom supports correctly because he didn't leave enough clearance. When I asked him too install them he put them in crooked and again hacked the materials
By week six, with the project nowhere near done (maybe 60% complete), he asked me for more money. Despite already being about 85% paid, he pressured me for another $3,000, claiming he had car problems. I told him I didn't care about his personal issues, I just wanted the job finished. I paid him anyway, hoping it would push him to complete the work. Instead, that was the last time I ever saw or had any communication with him. He stopped answering calls and texts.
Eventually, he sent two other men to throw on some skirting, but the stairs and several key pieces of the deck were never finished. His workmanship was sloppy, unprofessional, and dishonest. I had to finish the project myself and fix many of his mistakes.
I am now pursuing a small claims case against him and filing a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. "All Done Handyman" is nothing but a joke. Save yourself the stress and money--stay far away from John Russel.
