Example of painted trim results. Looked ok -- until you bump it and realize it all just peels off. read more

Unprofessional Conduct by Lonestar Contracting - Abandoned project before completion Lonestar Contracting based in Lago Vista/Leander, Texas, is owned by Mike Nichols. Mr. Nichols' company was contracted for several projects at my house in August 2020. The comments below are about the painting and staining of most of the exterior wood and metal surfaces and some interior wood surfaces of the house. On 9/28/20, Mr. Nichols notified the me by text message that he would not complete the painting and staining work on my house due to an issue with the new paint on the steel beams. He would not answer phone calls to discuss the issues and possible options or his reasoning for quitting the project. He would only respond by text and email. Paint issues with the steel beams: The house has steel beams supporting the deck that have been previously painted without issue. The existing paint had been in place for 10+ years. Overall, the paint was in good condition for its age. It did have some spots on the metal that needed sanding where the paint had flaked off. After Mr. Nichols' company painted the beams, the new paint could be scraped away in places using a fingernail with very light pressure. Mr. Nichols was notified by text and with a picture on 9/10/20 that the paint was coming off the beams in places. He came onsite the week of 9/14/20 and directly observed the issue. On 9/24/20 Mr. Nichols was onsite and talking with his sub-contractor about the issue. He communicated that he was trying to determine a solution. He did say that the only attempt to resolve the issue at that point was light sanding in spots. There had been no other attempts to test possible solutions to the paint peeling. Abandoned job because it was more cost effective for Lonestar Contracting: On 9/28/20 Mr. Nichols communicated by text that he could not determine a solution for the paint peeling and that "It's more cost effective to let you have the work, labor and materials we've already completed and not bill you." While he did not bill me for the work completed, he left the interior and exterior painting and staining of the wood surfaces incomplete. He did not provide any cost estimates of potential solutions for the steel beams before abandoning the job. He offered no resources for people that may be able to help with the steel beams. He ran into a difficulty on the project and then abandoned the job because "It's more cost effective" for him. He chose himself rather than helping his customer resolve the issue. He left the job partially done. He could have at least had an in-person conversation with me about the beam issues. He could have completed the painting and staining of the wood surfaces and been paid for that portion of the project. Instead he chose to abandon the job by text because it made sense for him. He also removed the new paint on 9/24/20 from the location so now I do not have the paint formula codes needed to match the paint that was used. It was requested that he provide a picture of the paint formula codes and he has not responded to that request. Mr. Nichols communicated that because he was not going to bill me for the incomplete work, he was absolved of any further responsibility. That is true, he is not billing or seeking to collect money for that part of the job. I am not seeking any sort of remedy or performance from him. I am sharing this information with the community because it is important to know how he handled this situation. read more

Check out these pictures of my property's fence in Pflugerville. Lonestar Contracting put a sealant on the fence - beautiful work. They are prompt, courteous to the tenants and the work is done professionally. I live in California so once the work is done, Mike Nichols will either email or call me to let me know the work is completed. And sends me pictures - how great is that. They also fixed my sprinkler system and have done other types of maintenance and repair work for me the last 3 years. His bids are competitive as well. I highly recommend Mike Nichols and Lonestar Contracting if you need any type of work performed on your property. read more

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We used Lonestar Contracting for our master bath remodel and couldn't be happier. Mike and his crew were professional, trustworthy and communicative. Mike helped us envision our dream bathroom and brought it to reality. He helped us transform a dated, ugly bathroom into a spa-like beauty that we love. His prices are very fair and we plan to use him for future jobs. I will recommend Mike to anyone who asks for a great contractor. read more

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I've used Lonestar Contracting for the past 4+ years for a variety of repair jobs, large and small. The owner, Mike Nichols, and his crew can handle anything. It's rare to find a contractor that is competent AND affordable for small handyman jobs as well as major remodels. Lonestar is wrapping up a major remodel of a flood-damaged home that I manage for a client (thanks, Onion Creek!). As soon as I learned of the flood, I called Mike. Despite a bust schedule, he dropped everything to head over to the property, and had a crew starting to clean the place up within hours of when the insurance company gave the go-ahead. Mike worked with all the other subs I had at the house and worked with the City every step of the way (not an easy job...) to ensure code compliance. As a result of his and his crews' hard work, the home was one of the first in the area to be put back in service as a rental. read more

Not only did Lonestar not honor the agreed to price for remodeling my home, the job was not done professionally, the floor is not level and my laminate pops out all along the edge of the deck they installed to raise my sunken living room. The workmen left beer bottles and other debris for me to clean up. Pictures of my home are being used without my permission despite my request for them to be taken down. I wouldn't recommend this company to anyone. Nolan L. lives in Lago with his mom. read more

Hiring Lonestar Contracting was such a horrible experience that I don't want to remember and at the same time don't want to forget either. I rarely write any yelp comments, but this time I feel responsible to share my experience with all the people, especially when I saw those two five stars. In Feb 2014, I hired Lonestar to do a rebuild job for my rental house, about $2,700 job, but ended up paying $6,000. Why? one word, "unprofessionalism". Four facts to show you tip of iceberg. All the facts I said here can be proved by evidence. And I welcome Mike to challenge me in anything I said today. Firstly, Mike, the guy from Lonestar Contracting, told me that for the project he ordered a cabinet which will take about 2 weeks, and he told my tenants the same. But literally just before the end of 2 weeks, he told me that cabinet won't arrive, ordering new one will take another 6 - 8 weeks. And he refused to show me the proof of first order. Secondly, when the work finally started, his team left the project half done, telling the tenants that they will return the next business day, but never did. I tried to contact Mike during the following two weeks, he always said next week, next week. On May 23rd, 12 days after Mike's team left with half done job, I messaged Mike, he still told me next week. On May 24th, one thing happened that cost me $3,300, this is the third fact below. Thirdly, 13 days after Mike's team left half done job without returning, a leakage happened in the house. I hired two plumbers and they both identified that Mike's team left drainage line to dishwasher open before they left the house, and caused the leakage. The leakage cost me over $3,300 to fix. I called Mike asking him for what happened, he told me that when he left the house, he turned all the water off. But my tenants told me that Mike was not even in the house when his team left, and his team only turned off the hot water. I confronted with Mike on whether he was in the house and whether the water was turned off, he didn't answer me even till today. Just two simple questions, he could not tell me the truth. Finally, after all is fixed, I tried to initiate the talking and get the facts straight on what exactly had happened, he refused to assist and insisted that he only wants the money and doesn't care about anything else. From then on, he just kept messaging me on asking for money and does not want to say anything else. Again, all I said today can be proved by evidence (when necessary, I can show all of them). This is absolutely the most horrible experience I have with contractors, very rude and unprofessional in many ways. I am absolutely frustrated with Mike's service, and just hope by sharing my experience, I could help someone else. read more

Lonestar Contracting helped us find and replace siding that blew off of our house. It was a real challenge to locate, but they have great resources, found the match and got it installed in a timely manner. read more