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“Phil has done several jobs for us over the past few months, which were relatively "small" but all improved the utility of our home.” in 23 reviews
“He is a skilled craftsman, and thoughtful about how he approaches a job if there are alternative solutions.” in 2 reviews
“Once the cabinet was made, he offered to apply a coat of primer to seal the wood.” in 3 reviews
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27 reviews
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- Gordon R.Sausalito, CA073Jul 12, 2018
We had Phil over to our home in Marin City a week ago and gave him a list of about 13 things to get done hoping he'd get through at least the first 3 or 4. He arrived promptly at 9am and finished at 4:30pm, working steadily through the day. He completed all 13 items on our punch list. We were amazed.
He worked steadily, didn't speed through things; I don't think he took a break the whole day. Nothing seemed to faze him. We had a plumbing fixture for him to fix, a fan to hang, light fixtures to switch out, a stuck window to fix, a screen door that wouldn't close properly, and a fairly large dog door to install in a wall in our living room. He was helpful with suggestions, kept his work area clean, got along well with our dogs.
All-in-all, I would highly recommend him to anyone looking for a handyman. It may take you some time to get onto his schedule, but he's good at responding and communication so you won't feel you're left hanging. We plan to hire him again for any work that comes up in the future.Helpful 1Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0 - 19728Jan 4, 2024
Phil hung some bikes on the ceiling in the garage for us and did a wonderful job. He did exactly what we needed. I'd hire him again.
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Philip D.
Jan 21, 2024
Thank you Veronica. I truly appreciate your testimony.
- Nick C.San Anselmo, CA88789Sep 26, 2023Updated review
High quality, good value, professional and responsive. Will use again! He installed an attic ladder and a roof fan to help vent the garage attic.
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Philip D.
Jul 3, 2023
Thank you Nick, I really appreciate it!
Jun 25, 2023Previous reviewInstalled a ceiling door/ladder in my garage and a roof fan. He is fast, reasonably priced and very responsive. He will be my go to handy man for life!
- Ken P.Sausalito, CA247219Feb 23, 2024
Phil returned my call quickly and arranged a visit on a day that was convenient for me. He resolved all of my issues with an expertise that indicated years of experience. We swapped stories while he worked, and enjoyed talking about our mutual artistic interests. Phil was respectful of the space and left it better than when he left. Would reccomend!
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Philip D.
Feb 23, 2024
Thank you so much Ken. I really enjoyed working with you.
- Mark C.Novato, CA1542Mar 15, 2023
I had a leak along the wall and could not get a roofing company or another handyman to come out to tarp it, I guess it was either liability insurance doesn't cover it, they're busy or they couldn't figure out how do it because it's in a tricky spot. Philip came out the very next day and figured it out, and while it's hard to tell if it will hold up under all circumstances wind gusts were up to aroun 40 mph the other day with another atmospheric river and no leaking! I had called maybe 7 places and Philip was last but not least, (rate was reasonable btw) I certainly recommend his work and will use his services again.
Helpful 1Thanks 0Love this 1Oh no 0 - Jennifer A.Lynnwood, WA012Apr 18, 2023Updated review
Update to my last review. So as it turns out it pays to speak up on Yelp! After I posted my unsatisfactory review I finally received my itemized receipt that I needed for the City of Novato for my rebate. Also it is worth nothing the cabinet I asked Phil if he damaged was a high cabinet which I do not access (I am short) and I had my entire kitchen repainted so the cabinets were in perfect condition prior to his work. The damage was right next to where he put the magnet safety locks. So I felt it was reasonable to ask if he caused the damage. But after I asked him about the damage he blocked my text and phone messages! Seriously who does that! But really it turned out okay because then I contacted M1 Handyman who did a great job at half the cost per hour, only $50 vs. Phil's $95!
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Philip D.
Mar 25, 2023
I can’t say that I didn’t expect this review from Jennifer. I’m actually kind of relieved it finally showed up. Though it is no fun to receive a negative review, the “risk” of getting a negative review vs the “reward”of keeping my self respect by handling a situation one way vs another can be difficult decision.
In order to understand this situation a little better it’s important to go back to the beginning when I was emptying out my old voice messages sometime late in the summer of 2022. In doing so, I saw that a blocked contact had left me a message.
In reviewing the senders name, this Jennifer A’s contact info, I could see that we had initially made contact in 2018 , I did not remember having even met this person but she had obviously been important enough for me to create a contact and had left an impression enough that I had blocked her number.
Anyway, I listened to the message and she sounded nice enough. The work she wanted done was what I do so i convinced myself that I must have made a mistake in blocking her number. ( red flag 1)
Jennifer was getting her house ready to move into and there was much work to be done. There were many many contractors there from painters to roofers to HVAC as well as others. And me of course.
I had much to do and would return multiple times to complete my list. Each time I came to work, everything appeared to be fine. That is excepting the first time and the last time. Sometime after the first day of work I received a text that I had broken something and what did I want to do about it. There was no “hello, this item is broken, do you know anything about it?” It was straight up you DID this.I had not broken said item and I told her as much. If I break something I will immediately tell a client. It’s much easier to deal with the fall out that way. (Red flag two).
Time passed with much work completed, no complaints and then another text. “You damaged this thing, with a picture, I need you to come over and fix it”. Again no “Hello, this item was damaged, do you know anything about it?” (Red flag 3) I had not damaged said item and again I told her “ if I damage something, I’m going to let you know about it.”
Anyway, this was the last straw for me. I don’t need people constantly accusing me and passing sentence. To my mind, if a person has twice accused me of something without having interest in even knowing if I even know about the issue in question. They will do it again. It’s a way of communicating that does not work well for me. Anyway, after I received final payment, I blocked her number once again so that I would receive no further contact.
As far the child locks are concerned, I do not believe there’s an issue there as they are very simple magnetic locks. I tested each of them repeatedly before I left and they worked fine.
As far the dust is concerned. I was all over that house and cleaned up along the way. If I missed a spot, it was an oversight and I sincerely apologize.
And finally, as far as the itemized invoice is concerned for some rebate from Novato that was never mentioned to me, I gave her a clear itemized request through Zelle and she paid it. The request and the payment are connected and verifiable and printable.
Moral 1 of the story. If you block a contact, there’s probably a very good reason for it. Trust your gut.
Moral 2, if you want people to not block your number and give you an itemized invoice, maybe respect them enough and give them the benefit of the doubt enough before you become their judge and jury, assuming them guilty before they can even address the issue.Mar 25, 2023Previous reviewPhil- you clearly have me confused with someone else. I never called you from a blocked number, that makes no sense. Why would I do that if the goal was to have you call me and set up an appointment? You came over numerous times over the course of several weeks. Only once did I contact you to ask if you damaged something and not in the manner you described. You denied doing it and I was not interestd in arguing with you because I wanted my receipt. You NEVER provided me with an itemized bill but instead promised to send me one over the weekend which is why I called and texted asking for it. I think it is strange and concerning as to why you don't want a bill with you information on it submitted to the City. With regard to your lengthy response, I think Shakespeare said it best, "The lady doth protest too much, methinks." You know what you did...
Mar 23, 2023Previous reviewIn the past he has done good work. After the last time he came, I discovered that some of the magnetic baby locks were installed wrong. He rescreened a window so tight the frame bent and I now have to replace it. He also leaves a mess wherever he is working. I have to vacume and clean up the work area when he is finished. No sure why, but apparently he does not see it!
After I paid him through Zelle he was supposed to send me an itemized receipt for the work he did. I needed it for a rebate through the city of Novato. Once he was paid, he would not respond to me no matter how many times I called or text him. I lost $600 because of this. There are too many good handymen out there to put up with this. Apparenly Memphis, the owner of M1 Handyman does a great job. I'll call him next time. - Gordon R.Sausalito, CA073Feb 28, 2023Updated review
We've had Phil fix things around our past and present home. He's never disappointed us. His work is excellent and timely. We've had him tackle mainly small things, a stuck gate, replace electrical receptacles, hang lights, fix sticking doors, replace door locks, install bathroom fan vent,... We're already compiling another to-do list for him and plan to have him back.
Helpful 0Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0Jul 12, 2018Previous reviewWe had Phil over to our home in Marin City a week ago and gave him a list of about 13 things to get done hoping he'd get through at least the first 3 or 4. He arrived promptly at 9am and finished at 4:30pm, working steadily through the day. He completed all 13 items on our punch list. We were amazed.
He worked steadily, didn't speed through things; I don't think he took a break the whole day. Nothing seemed to faze him. We had a plumbing fixture for him to fix, a fan to hang, light fixtures to switch out, a stuck window to fix, a screen door that wouldn't close properly, and a fairly large dog door to install in a wall in our living room. He was helpful with suggestions, kept his work area clean, got along well with our dogs.
All-in-all, I would highly recommend him to anyone looking for a handyman. It may take you some time to get onto his schedule, but he's good at responding and communication so you won't feel you're left hanging. We plan to hire him again for any work that comes up in the future. - Alex C.Novato, CA11523Jan 18, 2021
Phil has done several jobs for us over the past few months, which were relatively "small" but all improved the utility of our home. He was professional, flexible and offered a reasonable rate for labor. It's hard to find decent contractors who will take on smaller jobs or handy people who are professional. Phil sometimes books up to 4-5 weeks in advance and that's because he's worth it. He gave us much usable storage in our funky attic, installed a functional attic ladder and hatch and also installed a cabinet above our fridge. Each of these 3x projects was completed in less than one day. In our opinion, you'll be glad you took on a home project with Phil's help.
Helpful 1Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0 - Todd L.San Rafael, CA14063Jun 19, 2020
Phil did an excellent job at a fair cost. Is there really anything else to say? He came to install a portable A/C exhaust to my wall since I have no sliding windows in the room. He also cleaned out the vent tubing for my dryer since we had issues with moisture in the room while running it. Really nice guy, works efficiently with great skill. Highly recommend!
Helpful 1Thanks 0Love this 1Oh no 0 - Kay C.San Rafael, CA017Sep 9, 2018
With all of his five-star reviews, I'm not sure that Phil needs another one, but I'm eager to sing his praises.
When I called to make an appointment to get work done at my house, he said he was pretty busy but would get back to me to schedule my job. Sure enough, right when he promised, we made a plan. He needed to replace the flooring in the cabinet below my kitchen sink. It had been soaking wet due to a longterm leak, and I knew it was a nasty job. Phil made it seem like he'd seen far worse, and he seemed to know exactly what was required. He did the measurements, went to buy the wood, came back, and got to work.
All the while he was personable, efficient, and friendly to my dog. Instinctively I trusted him. Once the cabinet was made, he offered to apply a coat of primer to seal the wood. It was accomplished in no time. With a potentially messy project, I was really happy that he didn't leave any trace (inside or out) for all the work he'd done.
He's a really nice guy. I'd call him in a minute if I needed the help of an experienced carpenter!Helpful 1Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 1 - Marilyn B.San Rafael, CA18820Sep 13, 2019
I have no words which adequately express my gratitude for & amazement over the work Phil did for us today. His knock on our door was at the precise moment he said he'd arrive. Our closet needed restoration: new clothes rod, brackets on either end & the middle, a shelf overhead. Not only did he accomplish more that we expected lining the walls with wood to reinforce the brackets, but he measured the area, left for materials and was back within an hour. The entire job was complete within 2 1/2 hours. He's a busy guy but squeezed our small job in between his agenda. With all of our 5 stars we'll wear him out!
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