Robin gave me their company information on Next Door for some electrical work we needed done. No one replied to my first email, so I mentioned something to her on Next Door again and she suggested an email address as opposed to going through the website. But I chose to call instead and actually spoke with Howard, to whom I described the work we needed done, and who told me to email Robin again and she would schedule the project. We agreed on an appointment time, and then they canceled the first appointment, saying another customer had an emergency, with very short notice, but gave us a ballpark for a reschedule, nearly two weeks later. I emailed back to ask for a possible date and time, and when I did not hear back, I emailed again to ask them to please let me know if they did not have time for us. But they got back to me and asked for our availability. We then scheduled a second appointment, but.....drum roll.....they then cancelled THAT appointment as well the morning of, saying they did not have time to commit to our project. Both times we had made special arrangements for someone to be here when they came. They strung us along for weeks, which I find highly unprofessional. I would be ashamed to conduct my business like this. Needless to say, we will not be using them now or in the future, nor can we in all good conscience be recommending them to anyone else. Gretchen Davidson read more

We have used AIK for many projects around our (old...er, "vintage" ) home and have been consistently pleased (thrilled, really--keeping this er vintage house up and running takes a village). Scheduling is a breeze and Howard is a master! He brings the kind of skill/art/science to each and every project that we appreciate--he's like those old-timey grandpas who could fix absolutely anything! He's really nice, really funny and really GETS our er vintage house and what it takes to keep her up and running. read more

Howard seemed amazing at first. He really took his time giving me an estimate (with 3 visits to provide an "accurate" quote), described to me his process in detail, and seemed very trustworthy. Unfortunately, the professionalism stopped there. What was supposed to be a one day job took 9 attempts at Howard coming onsite. Most of the time, he was late, left early, or wouldn't show up on days he committed to me. The final invoice was more than double the labor and materials cost estimated to me. Initially he added a partial discount for the discrepancy, then removed it. There were many other suspect charges on the final invoice including street parking - when there is free parking available. Finally, he took my keys one day while onsite and only returned 1 of them after months of begging and pleading. I needed to get my locks changed. Working with Howard was one of the most frustrating experiences I've ever been through and I wouldn't recommend his services. read more

Don't waste your time with this Craiglist poster, he came by and coded me for $100 to replace my door lock for my apartment after he got here 3 hours later, and keep texting me, I'll be there shortly now he says, it took me 45 mins to get here and 45 mins to go back home this job is not worth $100 i want $150.. Changing door lock for an apartment it takes roughly 15 mins. He's a scammer! read more

AIK Restoration & Repair - Changing these 2 locks it take max 15 minutes. - General Contractors Near Me

We heart Howard. Enough said. He rewired most of our house so we can now use a blow dryer on the second floor and make toast in the kitchen in the morning. Because of Howard we are able to stay cool in the summer with window units instead of blowing a fuse. He did his initial work for us around four years ago and is still around (unlike some contractors that seem to disappear when you look for them again) not making fun of us our lack of home repair acumen. If only he worked on bungalow tile roofs ! read more

My wife and I bought and old house with a rental unit. I travel for work and we have two soon to be three active kids. Howard has been a life saver from frozen pipes, water heaters, door locks, toilets, lights etc. he's knowledgeable, responsive and honest (recently walked me through fixing my garbage disposal on the phone NO CHARGE!!) He helps me buy back my time with projects I don't want to do. He maybe a Handyman but I would say life saver:). Thanks Howard. read more

I asked for Howard to put a TV up on a wall. He guided me through the whole process, from knowing which mount to buy, to the best height to put it at. A few weeks in, and I'm not regretting taking his advice at all (I originally wanted it higher, but he advised against it, very good advice indeed). Howard is incredibly friendly, professional, and affordable. If there's anything else I need, I'm definitely calling him first. Pro tip: if he gives you advice, take it! Definitely worth listening to. read more

Came out to give an estimate for several projects, then completely vanished. No longer responded to phone calls or emails, and never provided the estimate. So, uh... guess he doesn't want to work on my house. Unfortunately between the time it took to get him out here for the estimate (he was a no-show for the first appointment) and the time I spent trying to track him down to actually GET that estimate, I wasted a full month. Kimberly F., if it helps at all, AIK's address on Angie's List is 2936 W. Fitch. read more

We needed a few expert opinions and repairs to the ceiling fans and running toilet in our condo. Howard gave me his initial assessment of our issues and was very accommodating in our first few conversations before settling on an appointment date. Once he came over, he didn't suggest or do anything excessive, only what needed to be done meet our concerns. What I think I appreciate the most is that because we were out of town for a stretch, we didn't have immediate accessibility and capability to know exactly what needed to be done. Howard offered to help out in any way possible, including future check-ins, if necessary. It was a welcome service and communication that is lacking in a lot of handyman businesses these days. read more

One of today's emails from the company, after scheduling a week-and-a-half ago that Howard would come bid on two larger projects besides the light fixture specified: "Howard will be there, and will troubleshoot the light fixture. In light of the Yelp review you left him he will not be back to do additional work." No comment, just sharing the quote. read more

Howard continues to be my go to project person! He is professional, personable and respectful. My vintage condo comes with quirks and no project is simple, and I am confident in Howard's expertise to see the job through no matter what the circumstances present. He also takes the time to explain the process to me, which I so appreciate as a homeowner. He treats safety concerns (faulty wire, lock issue) with the same urgency and level of detail he would expect for his own daughter. I highly recommend Howard! read more

Howard has been excellent in a variety of professional services for us. He can be trusted in your home and is flexible and accommodating to busy schedules. It's nice to have someone you can trust for the small jobs that won't stick you with big job bills. We highly recommend his services and plan on using him again in the future. read more

I highly recommend Howard! He is kind, fair, and does wonderful work! We had an electrical emergency on a Friday afternoon and he was there in just a few hours. Then he spent all weekend fixing the problem and ensuring our safety. His rate for all this work was very fair. read more

This isn't a review on any work he did for us in our home but it's in regard to his honesty. Because he was blatantly honest and transparent with me when others were just eager to just quote me a crazy estimate and rip me off. I'm doing some home repairs and renovations here and there in our condo. There's a switch in our living room that I never understood why it was there since it isn't connected to any light fixture. So I called him and told him about it, said I wanted it gone. And then he stopped me right in my tracks. He corrected me and told me that it wasn't in fact a "light switch" but a POWER switch! So call me ignorant 'cus I had no freakin' idea!!! Apparently it controls the power outlets in that room, or at least for that wall it does! 'Cus just a few days ago, after that room was painted. I went and plugged my TV back into that outlet and it didn't turn on. So, I flicked the switch from off to on and boom! Power and TV back on! This guy saved me from fuckin' up that outlet! Lol You have to appreciate that kinda honesty. For sure I'll reach out to him again with any work we may need in the future. read more

No show. Super disappointed. Waited for two hours. No phone call. Was optimistic given Yelp reviews. Unprofessional and infuriating.

Based on the good reviews on Yelp, I made an appointment with Howard to come to my house to install some mirrored closet doors and a leaky outdoor spigot. His colleague, Robin, left timely emails as to his availability and other details. Howard was able to finish both jobs in three hours. He took great care in securing the closet doors. Above and beyond his quality work, Howard is a good communicator and gave me some good suggestions to ensure the longevity of the closet doors. His rates are reasonable and I was very happy with the work he did. I've been looking for a long time for a reliable handyman, and I've finally found one. I highly recommend Howard. read more

The response from Robin is clearly a CYA rather than her being professional. What she said is a lie. While I did not respond immediately to her first email, I did respond prior to the appointment. It was 5 minutes after her second request that I responded, not the third time. I have emails to prove it. If paid for parking is a pre-requisite to your services, you should list that in your advertisements. I have no incentive to lie or say false things on here, I'm taking the time to review this for other people's benefit. Please just save yourself a headache and avoid contractor's like this. I'd like to now recommend anyone looking for an electrician to avoid Howard and go to Angie's list. I found an electrician who was scheduled and out the next day with no issues. Highly recommend it. Angie's list is free and you have many more choices than simply trying to find one via yelp or craigslist. read more

Thank you Howard and Robin for being very professional and actually doing what you promise. I had been trying to get some work done recently, ( I just moved into my condo) and the other handyman service that was recommended to me continually blew me off. I gave them three chances just to schedule something. Anyway, I found Howard based on the Yelp reviews and couldn't be more pleased. He came to hang my TV on a Friday night!! Robin called to keep me updated on arrival times, and I had the pleasure of meeting his daughter. The entire family are kind, decent people that are rare in the service industry. I have plenty of other jobs to schedule and trust me, Howard will be the one I call. He tells you upfront the cost and time frame and actually sticks to it!!! Call Howard for all of your handyman jobs. You won't regret it . read more

Wowza ! What a treasure! We are not from the Chicago area and had to hire a Handyman to help us put together our daughters College apartment which badly Needed sprucing up. We were desperate and not in town very long. Howard willingly showed up on Sunday afternoon and did EVERYTHING we needed. From lighting to shelving to curtain installing, etc. No job was too small. He was meticulous and good humored about all that we asked of him (which was a lot). He stayed until 10:30 pm because we were leaving the next day. I will definitely be calling him again. We feel like the handyman fairy came down and blessed us with Howard. Oh by the way we were so confident after two hours we left Howard alone in the apartment. You guessed it! He is honest and trustworthy too! read more

Howard (Owner & Operator) has done a lot of work for me personally and my cafe. He's got every tool you can possibly imagine, and he's a fabulous handyman - doing work for demo to plumbing to electrical and more. He's extremely knowledgeable and friendly to work with. His prices are also totally reasonable for the level of skill he brings to the table. Highly recommended. read more

Howard needs to be given a firm budget. I hired him during the christmas season and tasked him with a few jobs while i was out of town. When i got home he had accomplished very little and had already gone through the retainer. He also said he was going to come over and work on several occasions and failed to appear. I don't appreciate being stood up by someone i'm paying. He's good with electrical work and cheaper than hiring an electrician to come out but i wouldn't use him for anything else. read more

Howard worked on our condo for about two weeks. He installed a flat screen TV over our fireplace, installed a fan and new light fixture, ran electric to the TV (which was an exhaustive job) in the family room, and completed a list of other tasks. He was always friendly and was trustworthy enough that we gave him keys to our unit and let him work throughout the week. I would highly recommend Howard for any handyman job. read more

Howard is genuine, very nice, and professional . If you live in Chicago look no further. He has very reasonable rates (i was quoted much higher for a bidet install). I will recommend him to all my friends and family. read more

Don't bother with Howard or this group. My building gave me his contact as someone to hang ceiling curtains (with a cement ceiling). I spent a week and a half emailing with someone who manages his books to get 3 cancellations and a no-show from him. After the 3rd cancellation during the time he was supposed to arrive so our schedules were worked around it again, he asked me to give him the opportunity to come the next morning and he was 100% sure he could make it. The time has come and gone that he was supposed to arrive with no contact from him letting us know he would be late or not coming. I wasted a week and a half of moving my schedule around to have to now find another group to work with. Don't bother wasting your time. read more

Howard is my go-to guy for all sorts of repairs. He installed hanging lights in my kitchen, changed a bathroom fan, re-caulked my shower, mounted my flat-screen TV, and fixed my vents. He installed several dimmers, simplified the wiring in my living room, changed my locks, installed my fireplace, and more. He really can do anything in the house, and he does it well. He even knows how to improvise when there is no obvious fix. In the process, he saves me money. Whenever he can, Howard shows me how to do things for cheaper -- even if that means less money for him. For instance, when I moved into my current house, all of the lights in the living room took about a minute to warm up. I was sure I had a problem with the wiring in the room and asked Howard to do whatever he needed to fix it. But I was wrong. Howard explained that the problem was not with the wiring -- it was with the light bulbs. All I needed to do was change the bulbs and the problem would be solved. I made the change, and he was right. No electrical problem, and no big expense. Howard is very good. I highly recommend him. read more

Pros: Super nice guy, does very good work, affordable compared with other similar handyman services in the city. Con: Not very organized. You'll get an appointment window, not a time (even if you're the first appointment of the day), and even that's more of a suggestion. And if he happens to be running late, you may or may not get notified. It can be hard to get in touch with him; the voicemail box is often full and responses to emails are sporadic. If you have a flexible schedule and a project that isn't on a tight deadline, I highly recommend Howard and his work. Unfortunately, I have a lot going on and can't accommodate the laissez-faire approach to service. read more

Been trying to get an estimate but no one cals or emails back. What a waste of my time. I wish I could find someone who is responsive. So far every contractor on yelp is pathetic. read more

Despite appointment being confirmed (at a time they suggested), kept pushing back and then never showed. Never returned my call or apologized. Total waste of time. read more

Excellent home shelving and cat furniture install, couldn't recommend more!

I Found Howard through Every Block and read his reviews on Yelp. One section of my under cabinet lights went out..I also mentioned during Howard's initial visit, that the corner cabinet lights used to be on their own switch after my kitchen was remodeled 6 years ago. They stopped working within months; the builder came back but could never get them to operate on their own switch, so, put them on same line with the under cabinet line. I am absolutely thrilled to say that Howard fixed everything today! Not only are my under cabinet lights up and working but the corner cabinet lights areon their own line( which took Howard only minutes to fix)! Scheduling the work, through Robin, and repair by Howard in a very timely manner, was great! I was very pleased with the cost of the repair!! I would highly recommend AIK Repair and am happy to say "Howard, he's my guy" for future repairs. Professional, Honest and Resonable! read more

After reading the only review on this contractor, I have to post something here. I have employed AIK Restoration & Repair for SEVERAL jobs, both big and small, and have nothing but praise for this contractor. He is meticulous in his work and without a doubt stands by his word for providing quality service at a reasonable price. As far as him bringing his daughter to work with him...I don't know, as it wasn't happening on the jobs I hired him for. Nonetheless, I highly recommend AIK for electrical, handy man jobs around vintage buildings, new construction, etc. My taste is well, shall I say "exquisite" (picky bitch) and I would have never hired and kept a contractor I thought would provide me with nothing but pure quality. read more

Howard did a very nice job on a new toilet installation. From start to finish he was done in about two hours. And we are happy with the result. I would not hesitate in recommending him. read more

Howard was very professional and on time. I had a minor electrical problem over the weekend and he came out to fix it with no problem.

After reading the reviews on Yelp, I initially asked for a price quotation and eventually set an appointment to mount 4 wall art pieces. Despite they are of different sizes, they are relatively light. Howard arrived on time and completed the work right on schedule. He is friendly and even gave me tips on how I can stain my dining table plus places to check out for second hand furniture and good quality art for less. His rate is reasonable and Robin did a great job responding to my inquiries and confirming the schedule. I will definitely use their services again in the future. read more

We hired Howard to restore a table for us and the experience was a complete nightmare. It's now 3 months later, Howard still hasn't completed the job and refuses to return our table unless we pay him roughly triple what he originally quoted us. We were told that we'd be contacted for authorization if the cost started to climb higher than anticipated. This never happened. Needless to say, we won't be getting our table back. I've read some other reviews which describe experiences in which Howard completely "vanishes" for days or weeks at a time. THIS IS 100% ACCURATE. As previously stated, he has had our table for 3 months now. Throughout that time he has promised to have the job completed by "next week" several times. Then he would go silent the following week. Every time he resurfaced he'd have a different excuse for why he couldn't get back to you. Please do not make the same mistake we did, do not use this guy. He has no sense of urgency, he'll complete jobs on his time, not yours, and his communication is awful. read more

Had to Have Howard from AIK out again on another project. Howard walked me thru all the options and then installed the ceiling fan / light exactly where I wanted. It was more expensive than some others quoted, but Howard got the unit centered in the room and did not mess up the wall or ceilings. II recommend Howard to me neighbors and friends. read more

I've used Howard on and off for the past 4 years. He is a nice guy but beware of hiring him. He seems knowledgeable and willing to share information, but not a good communicator when it comes to getting the project done. I hired him to do a large project and paid him for half the work. He barely finished that half and never came back to finished the remainder. He owes me $300 for parts that I paid for in advance. He is hard to schedule, no call backs, and very frustrating if you want to get a project done, I would not even bother to call him. I've given up on this guy. read more

This guy is a life-saver!! He was hired by HH Moving Company in Chicago (the WORST moving company in Chicago) to fix my dresser drawers that they destroyed. He was here first thing in the morning on an emergency call and was the epitome of helpful and nice. Not only did he disassemble the broken piece of furniture, he re-assembled the dresser perfectly in no time, helped us negotiate with the obnoxious HH Moving Company business owner, and even gave great advice (we are new to the area). Howard is our guy for life and if you are looking for someone who genuinely has your best interest at heart, he should be your go-to guy, too. All of our thanks to Howard and his company for service and care that far exceeded all expectations. read more

Howard is great and I would definitely hire him again!!! We had him do a job 2 months ago on our new place and he did a great job and was pretty reasonable compared to other plumbers in the area. Just today I called him regarding an issue one of my tenants was having and he walked me through how I can try to fix this problem on my own, in order to avoid cost!!! He did say if that doesn't fix the problem to give him a call and he can come out and take a look. Who these days tries to save you money??? This is why he is great! He is honest, knowledgeable, and reasonable. I would highly recommend him and his services!!! read more

My husband and I recently purchased our first place -- and know nothing about home improvement. We found Howard through Yelp and were very happy that we did! We have had Howard come out twice and will definitely use him for future projects. The first time, he took down old ceiling fans, removed light fixtures, and helped with our deck remodel. As a bonus, he is a good teacher and is definitely willing to show novices how things are done. The second time, he helped us hang a chandelier (and install a junction box). He is friendly and his rates are reasonable. I would definitely recommend him. read more