AA Handyman Builders Network

This review is about the communicating with AA, but not his work. I did not actually get work done by AA because we couldn’t establish a reasonable communication.
My coworker introduced AA to me and started a email chain for the help with installing garbage disposal and replacing a faucet. After an estimate in email I asked a few more questions then AA stopped replying.
I installed garbage disposal and pinged him again two weeks later. This time we were able to make an appointment. However he didn’t show up so I called him.
He said he read the first part of my email, which said the garbage disposal is installed so he assumed no more work is needed without reading the later part of the email requesting help with the faucet replacement. Then later in the call he blamed the disconnect on me for not approving his work 3 weeks ago. But the fact is (as mentioned before) he stopped replying to my follow up inquiries to his estimate. He said he doesn’t remember seeing my inquiries so at that point, we both agreed that this is not working out.
Communication failure + no show are rather tolerable, but blaming his own sloppiness on a client was the deal breaker.
Just to be fair, it might have worked out better if we communicated via phone instead of email, but again without actually working with him, I won’t know.

We would like to thank AA Handyman Builders for their service. The information we received prior to the start of work was thorough and all options were made readily available to us.
We had a ton of questions regarding the remodel of our bathroom, Arbie fielded all our questions, no matter how basic, and thoroughly explained our choices. Arbie is knowledgeable and does not take shortcuts, either in his explanations or work.
We highly recommend him, he is personable, prompt and thorough. What more could you ask for? We have no hesitation in asking AA Handyman back for the next adventure.
William R.

We had an idea for using the garage as a playroom and we needed help with making sure we didn’t violate city codes or make the room unsafe with venting changes, enclosing the HVAC system, etc. Arbie came and shared so much knowledge and insight and then came in with a totally reasonably priced quote. His team worked fast and the work is fantastic! From drywall around the heating unit to recessed lighting, we are thrilled with not only the quality, but Arbie’s flexibility as we went along with changes to the project. The communication was terrific and I will use them again for projects big and small!

This review is a long time coming. I hired AA in January 2011 to fix a leaking toilet; they removed and replaced the toilet tank flap mechanism as well as replaced the wax ring. Needless to say, it was a big job which meant big bucks. They did the work and less than a day later, the toilet was still leaking.
They didn’t take responsibility and offered to fix it for more $$$! You didn’t correct the problem in the first place, and you want to charge me more money? Unbelievable.
So I called for another handyman, Home Handyworks. He fixed the toilet by replacing the toilet fill valve with a new one. Cost and labor was over 6 times less than what I paid to AA.
AA Handyman did a bad job in diagnosing the problem, didn’t fix the problem, and cost me money.

Nice guys, mostly good work, but didn’t accept responsibility for their error.
AA Handyman did a few odd jobs for me including putting in a ceiling fan, skylight, and attic access ladder. The employees were very nice and did great work (mostly). We felt comfortable letting them work in the house while we were at work.
However, we came home one day after AA Handyman was working to find our central AC no longer functioned. It was a brand new system which was functioning fine in the morning when we left the house with AA Handyman. The blower happened to be located exactly next to the skylight work AA was doing in the attic.
We asked AA to fix it and immediately it seemed like they went into «damage control» mode, disavowing any responsibility and giving convoluted explanations of how it could not possibly have been caused by anything they did. They told me to call an HVAC person because they would not handle it.
The HVAC person came (after a few days of no AC during the hottest part of summer) and told us that the thermostat wire had simply been knocked loose up where it meets the blower in the attack. The HVAC guy just plugged it back in and did not charge us. I let AA Handyman know that the HVAC guy confirmed it was their fault, but I never heard back from them.
I can forgive AA Handyman for not being able to diagnose the blower problem because, as they said, they are not specialists in HVAC. I can even forgive them for making the error in the first place, although it caused a few days of uncomfortable heat. However what bothers me is how quick they were to disavow responsibility for their error and their unwillingness to fix the problem.
Although they are nice and did mostly good work, I hire a handyman to REDUCE the number of problems with my home. I don’t expect to come home and find problems that weren’t there when I left in the morning.
At this point, I can’t recommend them.

I’ve used AA Handyman Builders to install an exhaust fan in the bathroom. They did a very good job and in the 6 years the fan has been in, it has never failed.
I have called them for other installations and repairs on my rental, however I no longer select them because their labor price is beyond my budget.
For the same job of installing a bathroom toilet and vanity (sink, vanity, under sink pipes and toilet) I had the job done by a top rated, certified plumber for 40% less and that also goes for some electrical work I needed. The electrician was 25% less, SO their labor rate is higher than a certified plumber and a certified electrician. With that in mind, I can no longer recommend them.
I got a new handyman that is a 5-​Star! Reasonable rates, personable and very fast workers. See my review.

I highly recommend AA Handyman Builders Network for anyone looking for qualified, reliable professionals to do home repair, remodeling and all kinds of upgrade work. Simply put, they are THE BEST in handyman services. I first contacted Arbie Fuentez, owner of AA Handymand Builders, 3 years ago not long after I bought my house in 2008. After weeks of frustration dealing with flaky handymen who canceled at the last minute or never showed up, I was at my wits end. My house warming party was in 1 week and I needed some work done before I could have guests over. Then, I came across Arbie’s number in the yellow pages. He showed up ON TIME, looking professional and knew exactly how to handle the 5 – 6 projects I had at the time. (Build a step, replace a threshold, install floorboard, install blinds, assemble furniture, etc.) This was like a breath of fresh air. The work he performed was top-​notch and clearly worth the money. He is a licensed contractor, bonded and carries workers compensation insurance. Trust me when I say this makes a huge difference. So does having an approval certification from the Better Business Bureau (BBB). I was so impressed with Arbie’s work, that I referred him to several of my friends over the years.
Fast forward 3 years later, and I found myself needing Arbie’s services again to deal with a small, partial bathroom remodel (install new toilet and new bathroom fixtures.) I called Arbie up, and hired him on the spot. He and his crew arrived ON TIME and did a fantastic job. I really appreciate the professionalism that he brings to even the smallest of projects, and the quality of his workmanship throughout.
I will continue to use AA Handyman Builders and recommend them to anyone looking for a qualified professional to handle any kind of home repair work.

Arbie the owner is very personable, friendly, easy to talk to and work with. During the project we had questions and Arbie was always happy to explain the options, the good and bad of each and let us make the call on which way to go.
Wanted to change the shower and flooring in master bathroom and change the tub and flooring in the hallway bathroom. The two full baths looked so good, we decided to have them do the same to the downstairs half bath too. Replaced all three toilets too.
Having battled mildew in shower tiles since a little kid, I was thrilled at the opportunity to get one of those single piece polymer shower units and say good bye to scrubbing grout. My hopes were dashed when we found out that our shower stall size is not one of the standard sizes that the units come in. Our shower would have to be tile work. Arbie then told us that there is a grout product on the market that doesn’t require annual sealing and won’t grow mildew as much as the regular grout. The downside is that it the material costs more and it’s harder to work with so the labor charge is more. After weighing the pros/​cons, we went with the SpectraLOCK epoxy grout material.
Next came the shower door issue. We wanted to replace the old sliding shower door with a new one. But none of the shower doors at Lowes/​Home Depot came in the right dimensions. It was looking like we would have to pay and arm and a leg for a custom made shower door. $ 300+ for something made of glass and aluminum should be the definition of highway robbery, plus you have to wait a few weeks for manufacturing and delivery. Arbie to the rescue, he was able to locate a local vendor who could custom make a sliding glass shower door unit for us and have it delivered the same day. The door was a good price and works great. More than happy to give a plug to
too.
I don’t know if the rest of Abie’s team is as amazing as Edgar, but wow, the guy is amazing. Edgar is always on time, works with urgency, cleans up neatly everyday and the workmanship is excellent. One day I was asking him to touch up two spots that needed a little extra grout in the first bathroom, he actually already knew about them and told me about two other spots that I didn’t even notice. I wish everyone had his level of attention to detail.
During the process of getting estimates and figuring which contractor to take a chance with, Arbie stuck out from the other two guys by:
a) Showing Initiative
b) Being on time
c) Knows how to communicate by email
Other contractors were either late or didn’t even want to scope out the problem without charging an «exploration fee». Arbie was willing without charge to climb up on a ladder and cut a small hole into the drywall to check if there was really a leak or not. One guy wanted $ 300 up front just to take a look. By spending that extra 5 minutes and showing initiative Arbie won himself the job.
I really appreciated them being punctual and calling ahead if anything came up.
My workday is hectic and email is the best way to reach me. Arbie was the only contractor I found who is willing to use email and has a decent cell phone. I had to reject a few guys because just trying to arrange a quote with them on their garbled cell phones was more trouble than it was worth… and even after you email them they will insist on trying to communicate with a crappy cell phone.
Okay, enough sunshine, here is the bad news. For this level of service and quality, AA Handyman will never be the cheapest quote. When you get the quote for a job, review it and see what items you would be comfortable doing yourself to shave off a little here and there. Things like priming and painting walls or trim molding you can probably do yourself instead of having them do it.
For future work, AA Handyman will be at the top of my list of people to call for a quote.

We needed two bathrooms totally remodeled. We had 4 other contractors bid the work. We chose AA Handyman Builders Network because they had extensive experience, fabulous suggestions, they offered ways for us to save money and they could complete the work in 3 weeks. I would use Arbie & team again. Diego worked on our project and he cares about the quality of work and he gets it done quickly. Diego is a highly skilled at carpentry, tile, working with electricity, painting and most importantly he is creative.
We thrilled with the end results… see the photos I posted above. We would use AA Handyman Builders Network again.