Update: After one more set of back and forth emails - Brian from House calls refunded me almost $300. Which I believe was a fair price for the work. I appreciate the effort he took to make that happen. read more

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This is not a review for the quality of work done, but to share my experience trying to get work scheduled. My first call was picked up by their admin, who asked details about what work I wanted to get done. She said to look out for their e-mail, which I received soon after. In the e-mail, I was informed of the standard charges for general handyman work ($185), per hour rates thereafter, cancellation fees etc. I was informed that they will be able to help me with the projects, and they might be able to fit me in as early as the following week. I needed to provide photos and notes so they could better judge project scope, the service location, credit card details, and complete billing information. I responded after three days with details and photos of the work needed, service and billing address and my credit card. Since then, I've been ghosted. Over a period of one week after I responded to their e-mail, none of my calls to them were answered, and no response to my follow-up e-mails or the voicemail I left them. I finally contacted a few other handymen in the area and one of them got the job done professionally. read more

I should've known better than to hire a handyman on Yelp with a rating primarily based on reviewers with fewer than 3 reviews. House Calls first came to my house to check out a leak and was unable to identify the cause. They said because it was winter and if the leak was coming from outside, it would be a hard job. They suggested we explore this again when the weather improves. Since there was a minimum price for that visit, I had them help with smaller tasks around the house which they were able to help with. Four months later, the leak persisted and I called them back. This time, they brought someone who actually seemed to know what he was doing. He quickly identified the source of the leak and noted it was likely a broken pipe. They said it was an easy fix, gave a really good price for the whole project so I hired them. I should have called a plumber but the job sounded easy enough and the price was good. Instead of patching the one leak, they created at least 5 more leaks in the area and the damage was much worse. We were able to get them to bring the charges down to the minimum base price but really they shouldn't have charged us at all. Since the damage was significantly worse now, we now had to hire a plumber to fix it. They had to use more materials and more expensive equipment to patch all the new leaks which ended up costing us a lot more money than the single leak. House calls should not have moved forward with a project they could not complete. This took us months to resolve and cost us more than it should have. The only reason they aren't getting one star is because the customer service is good. They're responsive, easy to work with and the technicians are nice. But the quality of work just isn't there. ____ UPDATE TO RESPONSE: We did not receive a full refund for the service and we performed testing before refilling the entire system. The additional leaks were identified during the testing process. read more

Very reliable, honest and good communication skills. On time, nice to my weird dog, wore shoe protectors. Tony was the handyman and he was good at explaining what he was doing and why. I had pre-purchased a screen door that he recommended I not install. This was because it would reduce the amount of space in and out of my door. He measured for a better kind and gave me the info about the best place to get it, since I have a custom-sized door. He went to the store to return my original door - saving me a trip. When I related to him that I had a few other things that I might need done he was honest about the limits of what he could do - for example, asking a plumber to do a plumbing job, instead of trying to do it himself. I would definitely recommend this company and would use them again! read more

AWESOME! I met Brian Saul, owner and handyman, through my small Condo who hired him for some lighting and some maintenance work. I am sure glad I met him too! He enjoys doing plumbling and electrical work, but also repairs appliances... which for me I needed because my electrical dryer decided to commit "suicide". Why should you think of hiring Brian?, Good question! Here is a few reasons: -He is nice, calm tempered, friendly -Prompt in your queries -Reasonably priced -Provides a diversity of maintenance repairs -Works a flexible shift -Small business owned -Locally based -Knowledgeable and doesn't mind sharing with honesty -Quick worker And well, this does not apply to him, but why you might also want to consider him is because of my review of him and all those Elite badges I have that offer good quality feedback of businesses =D read more

Responsiveness inspires confidence. I first contacted the company to ask if they could help install two bookshelves. I needed help finding the studs and putting the shelves on. Got a text back from Brian on 9/3. He said "We are booked well into October if you're willing to wait that long I'm sure we could help you." I texted back the same day and ask "Do we schedule a time now or?" No response. On 10/8, I texted again and no response. I am moving on. read more

Ishtvan was prompt, friendly and informative. The quality of work was very high. A couple of the electrical products I'd purchased for him to install were defective, and he gave me good options for what to do (return one, replace another). All of the information above is still correct. However, I'm lowering my review from 5 to 3 stars due to my interactions (or lack thereof) with the front office. There had been a bit of miscommunication about the original bid and work requested, but I chalked it up to the super busy schedule of the company and the fact that I'd originally asked for a bid to include more work and then requested a revised bid to include less. In any event, I was very happy with the work done. So happy in fact that I sent in an online form to request more work. My form submission never received a response. I followed up with an email a few days later, still nothing. Finally, I left voicemail. I still haven't received a call back. Either they're out of business, or they're choosing not to respond. Either way, it's a shame the administration can ruin the reputation of a business which does such good work otherwise. read more

We had 4 nagging issues at our Seattle home built in 1955. And I was very happy to find house calls etc to fix them. We had old / broken bi-fold closet doors replaced with a three panel solid slider. A cabinet that was sagging and in danger of falling off the wall got shored up. Broken and old door handles were replaced with new and fully working hardware and a heat vent cover was cut and repaired so it fit our wall. Damien and Istvan came on time and went to work right away. They were diligent and thorough and did a fantastic job. Highly recommend these guys to tackle those projects that linger around the house. Just wish I would have done so sooner! read more

In 2016 when I first purchased my current townhouse, there's a corner of the soffit above my garage door with a piece of wood began to rot. Brian and another guy came in and did inspection for it, found the waterproofing layer of the house siding and soffit not done very well. They worked 3 days and did a good job on fixing everything. It's been quite a while now and I can see their work holds up quite well. They are also all very polite, on time, easy to talk to, and doesn't mind me asking questions. Very good company, will work with them again for future projects. read more

DO NOT HIRE THIS CO! I deeply regret ever calling them. They do not stand by their work, will not fix it free of charge when done poorly, the owner will never call you when repeatedly asked (and may not exist), and they charge the credit card they require to book appt without permission. They are running a highway robbery company and only getting away with it because Seattle is in a massive boom. I cannot imagine they get repeat nor referral customers. Move along the Yelp list and find another handyman to fix your house. You do not want these people in your home. read more

when asked to provide a quote, these people came up with some lunatic number of ~$25K, which was not even itemized..! For the same work, multiple other contractors provided detailed and professional quotes for approximately a half of it..! Furthermore, those 'house calls' people charge 95$ for their useless onsite visits, while all others make visits and provide quotes free of charge. I would never bother to call them back again. read more

Let me preface this review by telling you that I am completely useless around the house (apartment). After three months in seattle, I decided it was time to pay someone to help me make my place a bit more homey. Enter - Istvan. Not only did he complete everything I needed (tv hanging with an annoying mounting kit, neon sign on the wall, ridiculously large/heavy framed poster hung, floating shelf put up) in a reasonable amount of time, but he was great to spend the morning with and shared some local Seattle recommendations with me. Will definitely be using HCE in the coming months as I finish pulling my spot together. read more

Great service! Frederic was awesome and came right on time and stayed until the job was done. We had him rehang our bratty closet doors. He was very professional and kind. Highly recommend this company. They will communicate with you and I felt like they were on top of things. We will be using them again to hang our TV! read more

Had a great experience with Fredric, who reattached our bannister that got pulled out of the wall as well as patching up the damaged drywall. He was courteous, professional and was thorough about cleaning up after he was done as well. Would definetly recommend! read more

My review is strictly about the scheduling process. They did not do any work for me. I called to see about some ceiling work that I need done. They said that they could do it and would send me an email with terms. The email said that they won't do anything at all unless you give them a credit card up front. They also have a fee schedule that could cause the bill to run up in interesting ways. So if you are not willing to share credit card information with them before they even come to your place then pass these folks by. That is what I did. read more

Here's the story: I had a kidney cat that had some accidents on some glueless cork flooring. The cork flooring soaked it up and needed to be replaced. I was able to pull the old stuff up myself, but I couldn't for the life of me get the replacement tiles to fit. I tried everything: Followed online tutorials, used tapping blocks and all sorts of other stuff. Yelled at it. Nothing worked-- I just couldn't get it to fit. I ran the job by House Calls, they sent it to their team and felt confident that they could complete the job. Istvan came out a few days after scheduling and did the job in about 2 hours. Seriously, I couldn't even get a single tile to fit in 8 hours, and he did the whole job (including cutting the edge pieces to size) in 1/4 the time. He also was willing to stick around and give some guidance on if he or his team could fix another problem I was having. Oh, did I mention that I called 5 different flooring "specialists" before calling these guys? One had a minimum of *$1000*, one was booked for months, and the other 3 never called me back. House Calls Etc was happy to come out with just the company's standard minimum and did the job very well, and were helpful and happy to boot. Particular shout out to Istvan. He was very knowledgable, nice, professional, and quick. I will definitely be calling these folks for any issues I inevitably have with my house in the future. read more

These people overcharged us and would not change the price even after we kept calling them

Quick and easy. I thought that I would need a whole door , and was dreading a $2,000 operation. Istvan was kind enough to swing by to assess my situation and recommended I go with a repair rather than a replacement, which was much much more affordable. In general I am afraid of being upsold by companies, but Istvan showed me that I didn't have to be worried about that when it came to working with these folks. Would highly recommend. read more

Sara was very helpful in getting me an urgent response. Istvan went above and beyond to help me rescue two kittens that had been left in the ceiling and fell. The work to repair the damage done in my attempts to get them is fantastic. Thank you! read more

I wish I could give a medium rating of 2.5, as I wasn't able to have House Calls Etc do any work for me because I was not comfortable with their estimate policy. I had several projects I wanted to have completed including ceiling fan installation, flat screen TV mounting and even extending a roof top deck. I was given a rough estimate via email based on my explanation of the project. however when I asked to have a formal estimate done I was informed this would cost $175 + tax which would be deducted from the total cost at the end of the project. I didn't feel at all comfortable with this as I feel this puts House Calls Etc at an extremely unfair advantage where they can estimate as high as they like because if I don't like the estimate I am already out $175. Wish I could have worked with the company because they seemed helpful in all other respects. read more

Called in and said I wanted to become a new customer. The number I called was 206-618-8974. No call back. Lame - wasted my time, and that is all too common with disorganized companies/contractors with no way, means, or ability to call someone back that wants to spend money with them and become a new customer. read more

This review is has been on my to-do list for too long now. And just now, finally, I'm getting a chance to put in a good word where good word is definitely due. A few months back (perhaps around 5 months ago?) we were on the lookout for a handyman in the area to get some work done on the railing of our home where some bugs had eaten away at the wood (moisture ants). All in all the situation was somewhat of an "emergency", as the area that sustained damage was exposited to the elements, and we didn't want matters getting worse than they already were. Looking over yelp we put in a call to one of the handymen in the area - first with a prominent one one based on Calitol Hill - explaining the situation and also our need to be in touch with somebody who can address the issue sooner than later. From this guy we got no response (at least, we got no response until many, many days later... so much for "urgency"), so we gave the next one on our list a shot, House Calls Etc. Within a day we received a call back, and from there things moved forward swiftly and painlessly. Between the owner (co-owner?), Brian, and the fellow that came out (I can't remember his name right now - tattoos and prior serviceman), the whole experience top to bottom was nothing short of perfect. Service was timely, communication was excellent, and House Calls Etc.'s flexibility/knowledge with acquiring the specific materials we requested for use in the repair (a certain kind of synthetic composite that's resistant to decay and insects) was awesome. Additionally, and perhaps most importantly, *the quality of the actual carpentry was very precise and very well done*, and the final bill - which we were kept informed of throughout the process - DIDN'T have any surprises and DIDN'T make us cringe! Seriously, if you have work that needs to be done, just do yourself a favor and start with House Calls Etc. It's That's what we should have done in the first place. read more

I recently hired House Calls Etc to help me take down the hideous mechanized drapes in my new apartment and replace them with much prettier hardware and curtains. I picked them almost entirely based on their adorable logo/branding, I admit it. But Tony did a great job and was super friendly and pleasant to talk to, which was great since I worried that it would be awkward having someone in my home doing manual labor while I was just loafing around. They have a two hour minimum, and so I brainstormed some other tasks that needed doing, so I'd adequately use the time left over after the windows were done. I made it clear from the get-go that I could only afford the 2 hour minimum, and he was great and kept me posted on how much time was left, which helped me determine what tasks he should tackle. One really notable touch was that they sent a thank you card as a follow up, which was above and beyond my expectations for customer service. I would definitely call on them again. read more

I hired House Calls Etc. after a missed appointment with another contractor and a really large quote from another contractor that I wanted a second opinion on. I should have gone to House Calls Etc. first! Tony was the contractor who came out to work on my house, and over two days and ten billable hours (give or take a bit), we got the following done: -TV Wall Mounted -Toilet Paper Holders Mounted -Grout sealed, repaired, and three bathrooms re-caulked and baseboards installed -Bathroom overhead fan purchased and installed (required cutting sheetrock away and paint put on the ceiling) -Cat door installed And some other random things I am sure I am forgetting! Tony did an excellent job, was personable and on-time, and it worked out very well. I will use them again in the spring when we re-do our deck! read more

NOTE: This review is solely based on House Calls Etc's scheduling and communication. I never had a chance to experience their actual services because they were a no-show for our appointment. I called House Calls Etc because I had some minor wall damage associated with a move. We made an appointment for Thursday between 9am and 12pm. I cancelled my morning meetings, and scheduled my morning to work remotely so I could be there during their arrival window. Thursday morning came, I brave rush hour traffic and 520 bridge tolls to drive back to my old apartment with the damaged wall, to be there to let in House Calls Etc. I'm working from a Starbucks next to my apartment while waiting fro House Calls Etc to arrive, because I'm in the process of moving and have already had the internet disconnected from the apartment. 9am - Phone ringer on, waiting for hear from House Calls Etc. 10am - Still haven't heard anything, so I call them to confirm they're still coming. "Yes, the tech will come, we have you on the schedule," they tell me. "No, we can't give you an estimated time of arrival." I explain that I'm working from a Starbucks next to the apartment, and ask if they can notify me when they are on their way, which they reluctantly agree to. 11am - Still no word from House Calls Etc. I'm starting to get concerned. 12:05pm - It's official that they're not going to make the scheduled window of time. I call back again to ask where my tech is. "He won't be there for at least another hour and a half" they tell me. I say that's not going to work because I have meetings scheduled for the afternoon, and I ask if they can reschedule me for the following day. They tell me that they can put me on the waitlist. I've now wasted my entire morning sitting in a Starbucks, and I'm no closer to getting my wall fixed. Needless to say, I didn't hear from them the following day. House Calls Etc did finally call me on Monday and try to reschedule, but by then it's too late because I've already frantically called around and finally found someone else who could help me on short notice. I'm giving 2 instead of 1 star because at least they did call back on Monday. But they never did apologize, nor did they offer an explanation for why they didn't tell me sooner that the tech was not going to show up. read more

Had House Calls Etc lower a countertop bar for me in my kitchen. They did a good job and the end product was what I was looking for. Istvan and Paul were the two guys who helped complete the job, from demo to drywall repair. They were on-time, and showed up later in the day if they had extra time. They were also very courteous. The job ended up costing me more than what was quoted. They had to make 3 return trips to complete the job, even though they said they could do it faster. All in all, the quality of work and service were good. read more

We called House Calls Etc. to have some small repairs done to our rental. While most of the repairs were done satisfactorily, the new caulking the repair man put in the tub cracked right down the middle after only a week. I called House Calls Etc. and was promised that the caulking would be replaced free of charge. However, after the repair man re-caulked the tub, he still charged us for the service, saying that the caulk must have cracked because we had left a dehumidifier on in the bathroom. This didn't make sense to us, but we still paid since the problem seemed to be our fault. Just two weeks later though, the new caulk cracked in exactly the same way as the previous caulk did, even though we haven't put a dehumidifier in the bathroom since the caulk was replaced. I think, rather than relying on another promise to fix a mistake for free, I'll leave the house calls to someone else. read more

*This is for their customer service* I gave Brian a call and he answered ALL of my questions with patience, honesty, and clarity. They are clear with their service and know their craft. Unfortunately because our house is 3 stories and they are limited to 2 stories houses (paint and caulking) - we were not able to work something out - but I'll definitely keep their number for any eventual mishap that will happen. Great customer service! read more

House Calls, etc. is the perfect handyman. I emailed them and Frederic came out the next morning! He came by and fixed 2 misaligned doors and our doorbell in a few short hours. I'm very exited to finally find a service like this. read more

Last week I needed help with a design installation for a client in Seattle. I live and work in So. California and used YELP to locate a handyman that could assist me with hanging mirrors, shelves and drapery. I am so lucky to have found House Calls, etc. Having been an interior designer for a number of years, I treasure the gift of communication, professionalism and reliability. Thank you House Calls Etc. for making me look good with my client. Great work and I totally recommend them! read more

We had a wonderful experience with Michael from House Calls, etc. He came out one weekday evening to estimate our work and was able to schedule the work for the following Saturday to accommodate our crazy work schedules. He was professional, nice, and on time and the work looks great. 4 stars instead of 5 because Brian and Michael took a while to get back to our initial request (I had to send a few emails), but I understand because they are really busy. Great company! read more

Brian is great. None of the things we came to expect from our ex-handyman (typical unreliable contractor stuff.) Apparently Brian is the exception to all that. ~sigh. I hesitate to post here how good he is, lest he get too busy! But really, one can't go wrong calling Brian. He's a champ. read more

The owner of House Calls Etc emailed me an unprofessional email tonight concerned a recent review (I assume Kiwi B.'s) was from me. It wasn't, and I think the best way to make that clear is to post my own review. I hired House Calls Etc several months ago to do a simple project that I didn't have time for during the school year. I was not satisfied with the quality of the work, which took over double the quoted time estimate and still wasn't close to completion. My initial goal was to work with the company to make things right, but I found the owner to be uncommunicative, extremely condescending, and (surprisingly) not at all invested in the quality of the work. We did finally reach an agreement regarding price, but I would not recommend this company. read more

I had a great experience with House Calls etc Handyman Service. Booking an appointment was quick and easy. Istvan replaced my garbage disposal in a flash. He was also friendly and easy to talk to. I'd happily use this service again -- and would definitely recommend to anyone needing repairs! read more

They did an excellent job on the work, and their communication was very professional. They were punctual, and answered the phone when I called. I am very happy with the company and its people. read more

Second time using House Calls and Frederic handled everything perfectly! He took the time to make sure all the measurements were correct and was thoughtful about what would work best for hanging various wall art pieces up. Highly recommend! read more

The fellas came on time, got to work, did a great job, and vacuumed after they were done. My windows & drywall look excellent and I would recommend House Calls Etc any day. And, they're in the Central District for those who prefer local house help. read more

As a single woman householder I needed a handyman I could trust. Brian and his team were recommended to me. I used them for a 3-day drywall project that involved wall repairs, taping, mudding and painting of three interior walls. Brian did a fantastic job, restoring the walls to their original condition. Everything was done with great attention to detail. In addition to doing a top quality job, there were a few additional things that I really appreciated: a) the turn-around time was very quick -- from the estimate, to the start of the work, to completion. From my first call to overall completion was less than two weeks. b) Brian showed up exactly when he said he would, on all three days. Housecalls Etc sends an automated text when the handyman is en-route, and when leaving the building. This helped enormously, because I didn't have to wait around wondering when someone would show up. c) The final cost came in exactly on budget. For me, those are the kinds of things that build trust. I will definitely use them again. read more

I highly recommend House Calls! Brian and Sara were super communicative throughout my project. Scheduling was super easy and each day I received updates on the project and when Brian was in route and departing. The end bill was quite close to the original work estimate provided, even though additional rot was discovered along the way. Brian and his team seemed to work fast and thoroughly. I'm very pleased with the quality of the repair work on my siding. read more

I found exchanging emails with Sara (office admin) was not effective. I emailed my bathroom task (caulking and replacing a shower door with a curtain) with photos. Then, she asked me to send her photos? I resent the same photos; then, she didn't reply to me for a week. She finally responded me asking me if I was still looking for a handyman. I thought we miscommunicated by email so I called her up and talked to her on the phone for 10 minutes. She agreed to send me a quote by email, but I didn't receive any emails from her. read more