I called Alain based on the Yelp reviews I read. I have never had any work done and had next to no idea of what I was doing. He came out the same day I called and had a fair estimate for me by that evening. He helped me to make a better decision about the tile too. I completely gutted the bathroom, in my very old house.
Once he got out here, I told him I guessed I needed a plumber too - so he called his friend Dan. Dan came right over and told me what I needed and what he would do and how much it would cost. HE also told Alain that he needed some more farm fresh eggs in order to make his famous Banana Cream Pie. Alain promised to provide them.
I went straight up to Morrison Plumbing Supply to get the items Dan recommended and found out from the (GREAT) salesperson, Kelli, that I had stumbled upon the two best guys in the business.
Dan and Alain sent me some pictures of work they had done which gave me an idea for a vanity. I went out and bought a piece of furniture from Primitives and called Dan to tell him about it. I told him I couldn't bring it home, as my husband is usually out of town...but that he could go look at it at the store until I could get it back here. He said he would be over the next morning to take me to pick it up. He showed up, with a giant piece of Banana pie for me (seriously - you have never had better), picked up my vanity and brought it back here and carried it inside (!).
They came over to start work the next week, and as it is my only bathroom, I had to clear out for a week so that they could work. Once ALain arrived that morning, it occurred to me that I needed some elctrical work done as well (duh). So Alain called his friend Patrick, who came right over and gave me a more than fair estimate and told me exactly what I needed to get it all done. I got it and left town for a week.
While I was gone, Alain took care of my dogs - even bringing them treats, and both guys semnt me email updates and pictures. They ran into some trouble with ancient plumbing and and a rotted floor, but the work is basically on schedule, and I am thrilled with the progress. Once I returned, the horrible state of the walls in the bathroom nearly killed me, so Alain called a friend, Manny Castro, who came over the same day and gave me a very reasonable estimate and is coming today to do the work. He asked what I was going to do about the demo'd cabinet in there, and I told him I wasn't sure, the carpenter I called never called me back. So he gave me the number of a friend, who came right over and took measurments and fixed a door while he was here.
I seriously can't believe how easy and fun this has all been. I am going to miss Alain and Dan when it is all done! I will mostly miss listening to Alain singing along with Edith Piaf and other golden oldies on NPR. He is funny and sweet and a real pleasure to have in the house.
Oh, and a true craftsman. The work is impecable. Clean, huge attention to detail - and all done with quiet cheerfulness I didn't know was possible in a guy working all day in a cramped space. Plus, every single person he knows in the business is the same way - all funny and sweet and very, very good at what they do. read more
