Accolade Home Services

Mark is still awesome! He came to our house on a Sunday and I had a list of jobs ranging from gently removing birds nest to hanging a heavy mirror and removing a sink. By the way he did everything quickly and did not tie up our whole Sunday waiting on him to finish. He is stellar at what he does and he is fair at what he charges which is so important because I don’t want to feel gauged just because my husband may not have time to do these odds and ends jobs or simply just doesn’t have the skill.

A huge thumbs up for Mark Bissell!
Mark replaced a broken over-​the-​range microwave with a new range hood and added matching backsplash tile above the range. I contacted Mark by email and was able to get an estimate from him just by sending some photos and describing what we needed done. He was very responsive and recommended that while he could find matching tile, it would be cheaper if we went and found the tile ourselves, and suggested some places to look. We were able to find it ourselves, saving quite a bit.
Mark’s installation of the range hood and tile was excellent, and he was very communicative and asked exactly how we wanted it done. When the hood didn’t fit as expected, Mark quickly improvised and was able to cut out the bottom of the cabinet above to make it fit perfectly. The tile was done meticulously and overall the job was completed very efficiently. Mark took care to lay down a cover to protect the floor, and used a wooden cover to protect the range top. He also vacuumed while he was cutting the old tile to prevent dust from collecting and cleaned up the kitchen when he was done.
It turned out he didn’t need to cut any of the new tile for installation, so he even gave us a discount on the original estimate. The job was done so well we just stuck with the original estimate, so Mark disposed of our old microwave for us at no charge instead.
My wife remarked he was the first contractor we’ve hired who did such a great job. Mark is honest and straightforward, I highly recommend him for your home repair/​remodeling services.

Called Mark this past Friday about replacing my leaky faucet. His first availability was Sunday so we scheduled it for then.
He text me Saturday reconfirming our Sunday appointment and I told him we’re good to go. I then asked if he could give me any break on his rate since I was kind of in the hole already since I had to buy a whole new faucet.
Apparently, he was offended that I would dare ask him for a discount in the midst of my economic challenge. He blatantly told me that I should go look for another plumber and not to expect him at our scheduled appointment.
Marks customer service and business conduct is poor. Go to someone else. If you need plumbing look up handyman in the Unilocal search box. A lot of handymans can do the job a plumber does and for cheaper.

A huge round of applause for Mark Bissell. That is what I thought as he handed me the bill for his work.
Here’s how it started. He showed up to do the estimates Upon showing him a problem involving shingles around a particular tricky part of the house he said, «I’m not eager to turn away work as I could do the job, but I think this one calls for a specialist to do it faster than I could.»
Yipes, a handyman turning down part of a job! And being sensitive to the client’s expenses!
It gets better. He fixed a stuck door in ten minutes that we both thought would take a whole lot longer. «Sometimes I get lucky. He said in a matter of fact way.
And there is more. He replaced a deck around a tree. I had an idea how long it would take as I built the original deck.
Mark did it in a fraction of the time that I thought it would take.
When he finished the other tasks — all in less time than I thought it would take, I had a unfamiliar thought. «Hmmm I wonder what else he could do. And if my wife and I had to be out of town when he did the work, there would be no problem as whatever he charged, I knew it would be fair.»
There it is. Great work, efficiently done with skill and professional integrity.
I no longer need to call several people for estimates. That saves me a lot of hassle. Just one call to Accolade and I sleep better.
Thank you Mark
Peter Pearson,
Menlo Park

Working with Mark has been the most pleasant experience I have had when it comes to dealing with plumbing issues, which by their very nature are unpleasant.
Our garbage disposal broke. I contacted Mark late night and within minutes he had responded that he could come by the very next day and replace it. His prices are listed on the website making the money discussion completely transparent. He is very honest and straight forward, which I like.
Mark was perfectly on time, worked efficiently, cleaned up everything and left with everything working in perfect condition.
I would definitely use his services again when it comes to odd jobs around the house and highly recommended.

Mark is ethical, helpful with a variety of things, responds to emergencies when he’s able, does very good work and notices other little things that might need attention. Mark is quite personable and friendly. He’s on time, and if there’s a change in time he texts to let me know. His fees are amazingly reasonable. We have had him at our house to do such a diversity of work that I couldn’t begin to list all he’s done for us. It seems that nothing’s too small or too large for him. Also, and importantly, he is honest and let’s you know when something is outside his scope of expertise. Mark rocks!!!

First off, mark was very responsive, which I’ve found to be pretty rare in the construction/​Handyman world. He showed up 5 mins early to do a free estimate. Turns out he couldn’t do the project but I ended up needing a bathroom sink hooked up and some small jobs on our kitchen during a remodel also. I also appreciated he pointed out some other things to look out for on other work I was having done and let me pick his brain on some kitchen remodel questions. He showed up early again to do the work and did a great job and was reasonable. (Mind you on Labor Day!) At this point we had a new problem with our remodel crop up and needed to have a cabinet modified. He came back again, this time 45 mins early, and did an awesome job on our cupboard! Highly recommended, professional, knowledgeable, helpful and reasonable. Keep in mind he has a tendency to come early, but I’ll take that over being late or flaky any day. I also appreciate he was able to work me into his schedule on fairly short notice!

I hired Mark a year ago to fix extensive dry rot on the stairs of our Tahoe house. (I’d been advised by an earlier restorer that the whole deck should be replaced for $ 12,000).
Mark reassured me about the deck stability. He custom cut a piece of redwood to exact proportions for the stairs, did a brilliant and quick job of restoration (and was kind enough to let me do the painting). Great work, right price, and Mark is a pleasure to interact with.

Mark has been out to our place several times helping us with all kinds of different home projects; plumbing, construction, hanging pictures and art, all done very well and quickly. He is punctual, no-​nonsense and a very nice person I enjoy working with quite a bit. I will definitely continue to ask for his help and would recommend him for any handy-​work you might need!

Mark is really terrific — responsible, efficient, and talented at all trades which include many that other handymen could not do (eg plumbing and electrical). He is a pleasure to work with and always finds a solution. We have used him twice to turn over our rental property and will only work with him from now on.

Called Mark and he returned the call right away. As we lived nearby in RWC, he was able to come over that day. Only a small toilet project, but he was solution oriented and fixed the issue immediately. Service call charge was reasonable and Mark was friendly and pleasant. This was my first interaction with Mark but the service was outstanding! Update: called Mark with another project: finding and adding netting to our trampoline within a week. My daughter’s bday party was coming up and the trampoline safety netting was torn beyond repair. Mark researched, ordered, installed the netting, which fit perfectly. He texted me for cost and shipping approval. Completed within a week with no supervision needed and within budget! Great troubleshooter!

Really an amazing guy. Not your average handyman. He returns my calls, answers email, fixes all kinds of stuff, and is personable and professional. He will also make suggestions that can save money which I appreciate. Mark can do those little fixes around the house so much faster and better than me or anyone I know, so, I just wait til I have a few things for him to do and then give him a call. He is also prompt.

Mark is fantastic! Not only does he do an amazing job at just about anything, but he does it quickly and with a cheerful demeanor. I have used him for a whole laundry list of repairs and will again in the future.

I scheduled to have Mark come work on some things on my house at 2:15pm on Sunday. I got home at about 2:17pm and didn’t see him outside so I figured he was running late. 10 minutes later my roommate comes out of her room and asks if I saw him outside. She told me he had arrived 5 – 10 minutes early and he told her he would wait outside, it was no problem. So I figured he must have gone somewhere quickly and would be right back. I called him and got no answer, but I left a voicemail. 5 – 10 minutes later I still hadn’t heard back. So I sent him an email asking if he was in his way. He said no, he took another client because he thought «I was a no show.» I was two minutes late! And he knew that I was coming from something that ended at 2pm! I emailed asking if he’d be able to come after that client, and his reply was «No, sorry.» Are you freaking kidding me??? What the heck kind of customer service is that? He didn’t even try calling my phone while he was waiting to see if I was almost home. I am so totally disappointed and shocked by the rudeness.
UPDATE in response to owner’s comments: let me reiterate, I was only 2 minutes late. Anyone who thinks someone is a no show after 2 minutes is not being realistic at all. 2 minutes difference could be a clock that’s slightly off. And I would have had no problems with the owner charging for his time starting at our agreed upon meeting time. But no, he just left. No call or email to let me know he was leaving. Let me remind readers that my housemate was home. Did he tell her that he was leaving since I wasn’t there yet? No. He thinks I should have pulled out my phone and called him while I was driving to let him know I was running 2 minutes late. I’m sorry I didn’t realize that I should have risked a ticket or an accident to call him and let him know I’d be 2 minutes late.
Update in response to additional owner comment: my roommate said he came to the door, introduced himself, and said he knew he was early. She said she didn’t know where I was, but that she could text me. Mark said he already knew I was coming from church, so roomie says oh, her phone is probably on silent anyway then. Mark says something like «It’s no problem, I can just wait outside.» So that was fine by my roomie who is a petite 100 pound girl and would prefer not to wait alone in the house with a man she’s never met before. She said he gave no indication that he was concerned about me getting home exactly by 2pm, versus 2:02pm. Also, she didn’t know the details of what I wanted done, so she couldn’t have had him get started.

Blew me off. Not the way to get good reviews.

A new gate, a re-​caulked bathtub, and a light cover fixed: all thanks to my husband who makes the money to pay for Mark Bissell to do all this and for a reasonable price.
Another marriage saved! Thanks again, Mark!

Review just for customer service and ad:
Nice person. Return call. Searched for handyman in san mateo. However, he dies not go past Hillsdale Avenue. So his company should not come up for San Mateo… hillsdale borders belmont.

No one likes it when things break in their house and finding the right person to get the job done can be a real challenge! Mark returned to our house for the second time in under six months with a list of about five more things that needed fixing. He is resourceful, reliable (shows up on time or even early), and his prices are fair and reasonable. He can readily troubleshoot any problem. One of our fixes being that a leg had come off our heavy oak dining room table and we really had no idea where to go to have it fixed. He completed this task in under half-​an hour! Mark is pleasant to be around and respects your home (he works in painters booties). It’s no surprise that he’s busy, so you need to schedule him in advance and he is very responsive to email. I’m happy to write this review for Mark and we will definitely be calling on him again.

Look no further — this guy is the handyman you should hire. The other reviewers have already said it all:
–100% reliable
–Creative problem-​solver, professional and knowledgeable
–Incredibly efficient, which means he can do 3x as much as a normal mortal in the same amount of time
–Super nice, great sense of humor
I’ve been working with Mark for years — can’t believe I haven’t reviewed him before today!

Little girls can be so creative! For example, right before we were having guests our daughters put a plastic cap just the perfect size to clog our toilet and make it irretrievable. Happy New Year!
I am actually quite handy with a wrench and I often try to fix my own home repairs, but in this case I couldn’t get it out with the plumber’s snake. Sometimes I do not have the tools or the time to do the job.
As you have seen from the other reviews, Mark is efficient, professional, and very reasonably priced. I would also note that he came to fix our toilet on New Year’s Eve, pulled the toilet off, fished out the cap, and installed the toilet in about an hour. He also installed a microwave for us at our condo and was flexible with schedule changes while we were waiting on a delivery.
He is very pleasant and was patient with our two little curious girls. Highly recommended and I will use him again.