I don't know why I ever bothered contacting anyone else for handyman services. Michael has come up more than once when someone in the neighborhood Facebook group has been seeking a handyman. It was my fault that I didn't go with him from the get-go. I had experiences with two others that were terrible: The first one installed a couple things that were falling out by the time he left, and the second one apparently doesn't need business because he didn't respond to me for over 10 days after coming to take a look at what I needed. But anyway, this review is about the AWESOMENESS that is Michael! He responded within a day of my contacting him, which was a great place to start. He asked me to let him know what I needed and set up a time within a week or so. Then he contacted me to let me know he'd had a cancellation and could come three days earlier if I wanted! Yes please!! Michael is so personable. I liked him from the moment I opened the door, literally. One of the first things he said to me was "Can I tell you something about this door?" Apparently he has lots of customers who don't realize their storm doors have a screen and wanted to show me (I already knew though!). The most important task I had for him on this visit was to reattach the handrail that had been removed by some movers, and which had before they removed it been loose and coming out of the wall. That handrail is now rock solid. I honestly think I could hang from it (and I'm not a small gal) and it would not budge. He patched the drywall from where it had been coming out of the wall, and then he checked the remaining four or five handrails in the house to make sure they are equally as strong. He also gave tips on some filters for the furnace, and suggestions for smoke detectors--which was very timely, because I had been researching them before he visited. He's not inexpensive but he's worth every darn penny. I won't ever use another handyman whilst I live here, and I'm already feeling sad in my heart that if/when we do move, it'll probably be to a near suburb or outlying neighborhood like Norwood Park that he doesn't service and I'm mourning the loss of this awesome dude as my go-to handymensch. read more

While Michael certainly doesn't need another 5 star review, I'm going to give him one, anyway. Our garbage disposal was broken. Before coming out, he suggested we try something to see if we easily could fix it ourselves, essentially, potentially talking himself out of a job. When we couldn't, he came out. Between the email exchange and the visit, I came up with a list of to do's, including the disposal, toilet issues, door and shelf issues, lighting problems, etc. In addition to fixing them all, he gave me a long list of ideas and recommendations and easy fix its from air filters to fire/carbon monoxide detectors, to ceiling fans, to water heaters, and the list goes on. All in an hour. It was a tremendous value for the money. I can't recommend Michael enough. read more

Michael was amazing. Immediately responsive, able to schedule to our convenience (and in the middle of the Holidays) and not only did the repairs we had him out for, but he checked on a half-dozen common new homeowner errors for us (are we using the right furnace filters? Do we know to replace the humidifier pad? Pointing out that we needed a door stop replaced). He fixed a baseboard in our kitchen, a missing board on our back deck, installed a front door peephole, and replaced a broken door closer in under 2 hours. You cannot get service like that these days let alone at his pricing - I would have been glad to pay double, considering the bad experiencing I've had with other fixit guys in the past. I even asked him about a couple other smalls jobs, and he explained to us how to do it ourselves for free, but to call him up if we run into any trouble! 100% would recommend! read more

The Mensch pointed out yesterday that he really should have been invited to the birth of my child since he's been there for all my big life events. And he's right....I first called him when my husband (back then my fiance) and I moved in together. I called him back to hang our kettubah when we got married! And a few years later the Mensch was back hanging lots of pink decorations in my new daughter's room. There's no handyman I'd rather call for these big events in my life. He's reliable, knows how to fix everything, fun to chat with, AND most importantly managed to calm down my screaming newborn. Now that alone is worth 5 stars. I told him I'll be in touch when it comes time for the next big thing...perhaps kid #2 or a new house, although he informed he doesn't do the burbs. And yet another reason to stay in the city forever. read more

I'll add another 5-star review to Michael's collection. Michael was great from start to finish. He communicated with me before the project and gave an accurate/fair estimate of the time it would take to complete. He arrived early and completed everything I needed in a timely and orderly fashion. He also goes the extra mile to educate homeowners on various things around the house (i.e. spotting the need for some wd-40 on my front door latch). All-in-all, Michael is a neighborhood gem! Highly recommend. read more

I owe Michael a renewed review. I have reached out to him twice since buying my place last year, once last August and then last week. Both times he was responsible within a reasonable amount of time, and both times he was immensely helpful. On the first trip, he moved a ceiling fan from my master bedroom to 2nd bedroom, and hung a small chandelier. Before leaving he also gave me some great new homeowner advice regarding my furnace and replacing the CO detector (apparently even if they still look like they're working, the really only live about 10 years). Last week, he replaced a ceiling fan I hated, fixed my screen door and showed me how to pop out and replace the wheels myself, took down a pendant light I didn't like and showed me how to hook up the replacement when I found the right one. I truly appreciate his work as well as his ability and willingness to educate! read more

Truly the best in Chicago. So personable and knowledgeable. He came up with a creative solution for a cabinet I needed fixed. Fast, efficient, and genuinely a wonderful human. I only wish I had more things to fix so that he could be around more often. Very fair pricing too. Hire this mensch immediately. read more

Super helpful and informative while doing everything we had listed and more prepping for a move. Highly recommend if you are looking to get all those little things you ignore until they combine to one large headache. read more

Michael was helpful, prompt, great communicator and I would call him a house whisperer. He was able to quickly assess problems in my home and repaired them smoothly. I thought things would take two or three days to repair and Michael identified the issue and took care of several tasks in About an hour. Thank you so much for helping me and I would definitely recommend his services for your home. read more

After letting shelves sit in the closet for the past year and a half of the pandemic, I finally reached out to have a professional install them. Michael was able to fit me in a couple weeks after I reached out, and he accommodated my last minute rescheduling issue. He was prompt, efficient, and gave me a handful of other tips around the house that were very helpful. I already started a list of a couple future projects for next month. I would highly recommend This business. read more

Michael is great! Responsive, professional, and a total mensch :) He did a wonderful job with installing shelves into our brick wall. Looking forward to working with him again on future projects. read more

Mensch with a Wrench - Handyman Near Me

All of Michael's other positive reviews echo my own experience. We hired Michael to change out a toilet fill valve after it broke in the condo we recently moved into. While he was there, Michael also checked an electrical outlet that we thought might be broken and diagnosed a leaking bathroom sink pipe. In the remaining time left, based on an hourly rate, Michael gave us a bunch of useful DIY maintenance advice, spontaneously fixed a door that was sticking, and noticed we had a serious safety risk by lacking a CO monitor -- he then quickly installed a smoke detector/CO monitor combo that he charged us for at cost (I looked it up on Home Depot and if I had bought it off the shelf, it would have been the same price). So as many others have said, I highly recommend Michael when you are looked for a handyman to do various repairs. He is responsive in communicating with you, does high quality work, educates you over the course of his time with you, does it all with a good sense of humor, and seems to enjoy what he does. (And as an added bonus, he accepts electronic payment types like Zelle, PayPal and maybe a few others -- in my experience, many contractors still require paper checks or have to charge a processing fee if running a credit card.) read more

Great guy, great work and something I really love is that Michael is a problem solver and has made some fantastic suggestions for my home. So glad I found Michael and looking forward to working with him again. read more

Sent email to Michael with clearly stated questions. He returned email with request for photos of a sunshade, the bracket, a showerhead. Then, took these photos for him, which I thought was quite odd that a ' "handyman" would need a photo of these, but I did it anyway. Received error notices that his email address was "undeliverable." The only thing he could do without photos or further explanations was hang a 36" shelf. Yeah, no thanks. read more

I emailed Michael for a quote on some cabinetry and a handful of other stuff. Within 24 hours I had a response from him, and he was honest in saying he wasn't the best person for the job. He recommended that I contact a carpenter. His professionalism in responding so quickly, being honest and providing a recommendation really impressed me. Next time I need items done to my condo I will definitely contact Mensch with a Wrench. read more

Michael was easy to communicate with and get scheduled. He was very skilled and his rates are reasonable. Absolutely feel confident to hire him. read more

I heard of Michael through a number of Lakeview groups I belong to. After buying my condo, there are just a few things that required power tools that I needed help with. Michael was AMAZING!!! Super quick and efficient. He's also super knowledgeable. He took the time to teach me and walk me through everything. Any time I need anything done from now on, I'm only going to him! read more

Michael is AWESOME! He has helped my family out so much over the past 6 months with a bunch of home projects that we don't have time or knowledge for. Michael is super friendly, thorough with his assessments, leaves a clean environment and is quick. He'll always tell you if there's something he can't do but it's rare! I have really come to count on him and continuously keep a running list of items we need done and then reach out when that list totals at least 1 hour. If you need anything done in your home, reach out to Michael. He'll actually call you back promptly, schedule to come by and handle your project with friendly professionalism. Highly recommend! read more

My dad is awesome in a lot of ways. Installing light fixtures (as I found out) is not probably one of those ways. And after 2 hours of cussing at my kitchen ceiling, and 14 trips for me up/down the stairs to switch off the fuse...I was left with a sprawling electrical mess, no light, and shattered dreams. Ok, that's too serious. In fact, this half-job actually cost me $15 because I had to buy him 3 beers afterwards to bring his heart rate down...c'est la vie and lesson learned. Call a pro. SO..lemme throw another 5-star on the pile here for Mensch with a Wrench. I was working on a short timeline to get my place ready to roll, and needed aforementioned light in working/attractive order, and a few other odds and ends around the house tidied up. Mensch w/a Wrench is $75 hourly rate, minimum of one hour. So, find an hour's worth of work for him to do, and you're made in the shade. For the low sum of 75 bones, I received the following: *light fixture fixed, installed, turns on/off, magical! *Closet doors reinstalled on 2 closets. *Installed washer on one closet door to prevent handle hole. *Bathroom cabinet screwed into wall (no more wobbles!) *Towel Rack fixed/glued to stop falling off the hinge! *Changed air filter in furnace. (bonus, I didn't even ask!) I should've called this guy a year ago instead of dealing with all this half-assery around here! If you are handyman impaired, your boy toy isn't good with a hammer (or good with doing what you say), or you just plain want to knock out a lot of odds and ends in an hour or two...the Mensch is your dude. To boot he is friendly, kind, professional, punctual and...well, handy. I made an appointment via email (on his site contact form) and the entire process was easy peasy. Michael is a dream! read more

For those of you that are seeing the sparse 1/2 star reviews. Look; Michael is a HANDYMAN, not a general contractor. If you send him photos and work that he's not comfortable doing, wouldn't you happy with the transparency? I know I'd rather know up front if he feels capable of doing the job. This guy is as ethical and genuine as it comes. If he told you to find someone else or that the work was out of his scope...ummm....duh?! Some people... read more

I am a fan of the Mensch with a Wrench! I am also an idiot for not calling him years ago. My husband and I own a condo that is only 4 years old new construction and kept telling ourselves that we would get around to fixing the doors that eventually failed to close and "catch" when we had the time. Well, the time came and 2 trips to Ace and 2 hours later we were still looking at a problem door. Enter Michael. He came, he conquered, he single-handedly lowered my anxiety level to yellow. Within 20 minutes he had fixed 5, yes 5 doors, that didn't catch in our tiny condo. I know longer have to worry about a drunken guests simply pushing open a "locked" door and catching someone in a precarious position. I am in a sea of calm now. He also fixed this towel rack in our bathroom, applied a sealant to the caulk in our shower, and discovered a tuck pointing problem that has resulted in our office being 20 degrees colder than the rest of the place. Still with time left in the hour, he asked about our air filter, checked it, and then noticed we had yet another door that needed fixin'. He was super friendly, quite funny, professional, and quick! I will definitely hire him again, and you should too. Stop kidding yourself, you're never going to get around to fixing what ails your home, so just call The Mensch - worth every penny! read more

After getting the run around from another local handy-person, my partner contacted this friendly mensch. He was at our condo within a week, delivered the repairs/touch-ups as requested and was right on target with price. Plus, he's an extremely great guy to chat with during the visit. He also gave me tips on how to fix a couple other things around the house. I would not hesitate to recommend him to someone and have him back for other repairs. Work done: replaced a light switch/outlet, hung a curtain and three sets of blinds. read more

I used Michael a while back to fix our condo buildings back door that was ajar and the locks were no longer latching. He was very prompt, friendly and repaired the door the very day I contacted him! Fast forward to this afternoon and I discovered our garbage disposal wasn't working. I remembered Michael from the previous task, so I emailed him. I wasn't expecting him to message me back until the following day since it was after 5pm, but he called me back within minutes of sending the email! He told me he knew what the problem was from my explanation and could instruct me on how to fix the issue over the phone since it was a quick and easy fix. He could have easily came to my home and charged an hourly fee, but he didn't because he is quite a sincere and upstanding guy! Anyway, he was right on target about the problem with our disposal and I was able to fix the issue within minutes of our phone conversation. I am very impressed with Mensch with a Wrench. I really don't think anybody can beat service like that! I will definitely be contacting Michael with any future home repairs! read more

Wow! The last time I looked, Mr. Goldstein's operation only had 5 reviews. Good to see he's getting word of mouth, because he is one of the best handymen around. We had him to our apartment to hang our TV above the fireplace. Long story short, after three tries, he couldn't get the mount to stay on the wall, because of the integrity of the false wall over the fireplace. While he was working, I was baking cookies for a party we were having the following weekend. Michael filled the holes in the wall that he had made, and left us the spackle to further fix any damage after the first coat dried. After all that he wouldn't even let me pay him for his time. My husband arrived home a few minutes later, and was as shocked as I was. My husband tried to give him $50, but he still wouldn't take it. He said that he hadn't completed the job, so he couldn't take our money... !?!?!?! Serious integrity. A rare thing to see these days. He did, however, take a few freshly baked, peanut butter cookies after I pushed them on him. Excellent customer service. A really great person. I cannot recommend him enough. read more

Michael from Mensch with a Wrench is a dream come true. I needed some odds and ends done around my home - replace garbage disposal, fix a floor tile, put a towel rack up. And I had been putting them off. I had other things to do - like watch The Real Housewives of Atlanta and Hoarders. So I finally decided to look up handypersons on Yelp and found Michael from Mensch with a Wrench. His reviews were awesome and now I see why. He was friendly on the phone and friendly in person. It can be odd to have a complete stranger come into your home -- but Michael is so kind and easy-going. You will feel very secure and at ease having him around. Plus, he even did an extra (unplanned) project while at my house. He fixed a pipe under my sink. He even went to the hardware store to pick up the pipe. And brought me back paper towels because he noticed I was out. What a gem! He is a real pro. I will not hesitate to use him again for projects around my house. I wish there was an All-Star list on Yelp because I would nominate Michael from Mensch with a Wrench. read more

I first contacted Michael about a quote to install a new light fixture in our living room and a new ceiling fan in our kitchen. He was so quick to respond with a few follow up questions and then we even booked the appointment through email as well. So convenient! When he came, he was the epitome of professionalism and courteousness. He did both projects within an hour and charged us exactly what we expected based upon his estimate. We could not have been happier with the entire experience! Thanks Michael. read more

I consider myself to be quite handy, but now that I own my home and have to worry about things like pawning this place off on someone else someday, I turn to professionals. Besides, do it cheap, do it twice, right? Michael Goldstein (aka The Mensch with a Wrench) is awesome, and I should have hired him a long time ago. Honest? Check. Professional? Check. Punctual? CHECK! Not at all creepy? Check check check! I had a list of things for him to do (hang pictures, mirrors, install garbage disposal, fix insulation on exterior door, fix a couple other random things, etc etc etc), and it is so nice to have everything on that list completed! YAY OUTSOURCING! So not only did he fix all my stuff, but he also fixed a couple other things without me asking. Since I moved in almost two years ago, my toilet always ran. When the contractors who just finished redoing my bathroom didn't fix it, I just assumed it had something to do with the building pipes. So while Michael was fixing stuff he admitted the sound was driving him crazy and asked me if he could fix it. Um, YES. And he did! And it took all of three minutes. And now it's so....silent....in my place. While fixing the insulation on the back door, he also fixed the door so it shut properly. When he was trying to install the garbage disposal and it wouldn't fit because of the way the plumbing was routed under my sink, I think he was more frustrated than I was. I was all, "whatevs!" and he was annoyed he couldn't make it work. Also? He has opinions! And he shares them when asked! (Do you know how hard that is to find?) When hanging things, he'd ask me how I wanted things. I'm all, "I don't know, what do you think?" And he'd give his honest opinion, and he was right. He just went above and beyond in so many ways in the 2-ish hours he spent here, and I appreciate his perfectionism. The bonus is that he's fun to talk to. I had spent the last week and a half with a bunch of contractors making awkward conversation, but Michael was super nice, funny, and totally not awkward. He's just a totally normal guy. After he fixed my closet door he asked me if I wanted to know how to fix it myself in the future. After asking me if I'd ever heard of YouTube (oh snap!), he showed me how to repair it when it inevitably gives me trouble again. He also reminded me several times to change the air filter in my furnace. Way to look out, Michael. If you have a bunch of stuff to do, get on it and email him! He is clearly well loved on Yelp and for obvious reasons, but he will fit you in to his busy schedule. I would obviously hire him again....but this time I won't let the "to do" list get so long before I do it. read more

I ordered a canopy bed from Overstock, and my mom (of little faith) told me I wasn't capable of putting it together myself. Did a little Googling and Yelping for furniture assembly services and "handymen" and came across Michael. I emailed him that evening, he responded the next day to arrange a time for the work. Luckily for me, someone canceled and he was able to get me in within a few days. He's busy, which is a good thing! He asked me via email to unpack the boxes if I could to make the assembly faster, which would save me money and, I assume, help him get to his next appointment on time, but I'm such a hot mess that I was incapable of even doing that. The boxes were too heavy and I was unable to bring them up to my apartment! He arrived on time, and was understandably a bit frustrated that I didn't even actually have the bed in my apartment. But he kindly carried the heavy boxes from the mailroom to my apartment, and had the whole bed assembled in less than an hour and a half. His estimate was 1-2 hours, so he was well within that. The reviews on Overstock all said the bed assembly was pretty complicated, so I was really impressed. He even gave me some tips for disassembling the bed when I move. Of course, I'll probably just call him, since I'm obviously not that good at doing things and stuff. He's a really nice guy and it wasn't awkward at all to have him in my home, which can sometimes be a problem when you contact someone for in-home services, hoping they won't weird you out. I will definitely use his services again. There's no point in looking around, he's the right guy for the job! read more

As a new homeowner, I've had a lot of people coming through my home. Michael helped the most out of anyone, and in a mere hour and a half had fixed or diagnosed most everything that had been driving me crazy! We basically ended up doing a walk-through of my unit, and he gave me a run down of things I should know as a new owner. Plus he saved me an additional appointment with a furnace company by figuring out an odor issue! I will be calling Michael for projects in the future! read more

I just hired Michael to help me with a bedroom door that wouldn't close, a bathroom door that wouldn't stay open, a faulty light switch and a couple of windows that I was having problems with. He arrived early and was incredibly nice and professional. He not only fixed everything on my list, but also fixed other things (running toilet, closet door hinges, etc) that he noticed while he was here! Not only did he do an incredible job he charged less than half of what I received in another quote. He's got me as a lifetime customer ... and I'll be sure to use him for projects in our condo building in the future. THIS is what a handyman service is supposed to be -- service you can trust and is affordable all at the same time. Thanks, Michael!! read more

We first used Michael when moving out to Atlanta and needing to get the condo ready for our tenants. Yes, the stupid recession made it necessary for us to hold onto the condo and rent it out for what will probably be forever. It is a great vintage condo, so needs some work periodically. He was really fast and honest with us about what needed to be done, and what was not really necessary. We called him again a year into having renters asking him to go by and work on a few things. We gave him a list of things we thought might need doing, and things the tenants said needed fixing. Michael set up the appointment directly with the tenants, so we didn't have to get pulled in, called us after doing a walk-through and before starting the work to let us know what did and did not need to be done, and then emailed us an invoice. Using Michael makes it a little less painful to be an out-of-town landlord (a little... stupid recession). We will use him as often as we need someone reliable and highly skilled to work on the condo. He is great. read more

Call this guy first! I needed a window screen replaced ASAP - he followedup with my request very quickly, let me know that he was pretty busy for the next few days, but gave me a great recco on where I could get it done cheaper and faster than he would be able to. What honest, amazing service. Next time I have a need - he'll be the first one i call! read more

Michael was very quick to respond, very reasonably priced, and did a great job with all of our light fixtures. He was able to fix our ceiling fans without us having to go buy new ones, which was a nice surprise! I would definitely call him again and recommend him to anyone. read more

Believe the hype! Michael is fantastic - great at what he does, and a nice person on top of it all. He came through my condo and fixed everything on my list. Honestly: he went above and beyond the call of duty. Anything that he couldn't fix, he gave me clear, easy, honest and cost conscious solutions for. Definitely worth the money, and he will be my first call for fixes in future! read more

Michael was amazing! My roommate and I had a kitchen sink that wouldn't drain. After two attempts with the Drano, we gave up. I googled local area handymen and found Michael - just down the street from us. He responded quickly to email and came over that afternoon. Sadly, he was unable to fix the problem. Since he couldn't fix it HE DIDN'T CHARGE US ANYTHING. Then he gave us a referral to the nicest plumber ever. Terry came the next day, fixed it quickly, and charged much less than we'd been bracing ourselves to pay. Call Michael. He will fix it, or find someone who will. Most of all, he's just an all around decent guy. A Mensch :) read more

He was on-time, friendly, knowledgable. Highly recommended. I had Mike out to replace some ceiling fans. Excellent work. He also showed me lots of little things around my condo that I never knew. Super helpful. I will definitely have him back out again. read more

Michael is great! He was able to work with our schedule and replace an over the range microwave. We tried to do it ourselves but the old microwave was stuck. He did the job very quickly and is just a sweet and friendly guy. Even our dog liked him and he does not like strangers, especially men. Michael was kind enough to carry our old microwave out to the garbage for us. I will definitely hire Michael again. His price is good, he is efficient and you can trust him. read more

The fact that this guy has all 5 star reviews is no accident. Michael is the rare combination of great guy, honest handyman, and fast and reliable worker. He will come to your house and finish your task in much less time than you anticipate, and he will usually find a fix a few other things in order to make sure you get your money's worth (I believe he has a minimum 1 hour service charge, but you will get your hour's worth of service, and he absolutely will not milk you for extra time). This guy is so good that if I had a plumbing issue and he was on vacation, I would use pans under the pipe as a stopgap until he got back and before I would call another handyman or plumber. Summary: extremely knowledgeable handyman, fast and reliable worker, totally honest. read more

Contacted Michael initially on the phone about a drainage problem we were having on our balcony. He couldn't make it out that week, but he was so helpful over the phone. He ended up coming over about a week later and gave us some suggestions as to what we could do to help it drain better. While he was here he did a few other things for us. He is full of "fix-it" knowledge. He has been here twice now. The second time to repair a ceiling fan. He is honest, affordable, and fun to talk to too! read more

I must echo the other reviewers here -- Michael is a keeper! Friendly, efficient, skilled, responsive and knowledgable. Also very reasonably priced for the services he provided. In only one hour, he managed to fix five sets of bi-fold closet doors in various states of disrepair; in at least one case, he had to saw off the bottom to accommodate a new carpet that was blocking its movement. After he was done with them, he generously pointed out some simple fixes I could do myself next time. He also stopped both of my toilets from running and tightened the seats, and to round out the hour, he took an objective look at my broken dishwasher, advising me that it would be cheaper to replace the "antique" than call a repairman. Which I had suspected was the truth, but it was nice to get the scoop from somebody who wasn't trying to sell me anything. In sum, I liked him very much, and have enthusiastically recommended him to several of my friends. I'm making a list of more stuff that needs to be fixed, and will call him as soon as I have another hour's worth! read more