After nearly destroying our rented house over the course of the year, my roommates and I were all well aware that there was no way our leasing agency was going to return our $2,500 security deposit. I googled Chapel Hill general contractor and Craftsmen Direct was one of the first results. We gave them a call, and Ashley told us that Lee would be able to come to our house the next day to look around. After looking around Lee told us he could repair the 9 holes in the wall, paint our entire living room, replace 5 balusters that were kicked out from the railing (the balusters were in the way of our billiards shots), replace the porch siding that was knocked over, and repair archway molding for two archways. We were expecting to have to pay around $1,500 for these damages. To our amazement, Lee said that he could do the job for $500. Three days later, Lee returned to our house over a 48-hour time period to work his magic. I can honestly say that the place looks brand new, exactly like it looked the day we moved in. The holes are not noticeable due to 3 coats of mudding, our living room is repainted, the balusters look exactly the same as the original ones in design and color, the new porch railing is sturdier than the last, and the archways look like new. Lee stuck to his word, and actually ended up only charging us $450. I would 100% recommend Lee to any person in the Raleigh, Chapel Hill, and Durham areas as he sticks to his word and does quality work, all while striking up a conversation with you during his repairs. Additionally, Lee was punctual, paid especially close attention to detail, and even improved previously done repairs that were not done very professionally. Lee truly went above and beyond in every way. read more

We used Angie's List to get the names of some reputable companies that could help us out. Shane from Craftsman Direct came promptly and gave us an estimate. We decided to use this company because we were impressed with their professional attitude and knowledge - Vince and his brother came right on time on the designated days and worked very hard morning til late afternoon . . . each day they cleaned up the area where they were working beautifully and hauled away the rotten, discarded materials. Each large dormer was essentially rebuilt and the leaves and other materials inside were removed. . . the new dormers were painted perfectly to match the colors which were on the original ones. We could not be more impressed with Craftsman Direct and these young men - they did an excellent job and were courteous and very, very hard working. The dormers and the gate look great! We will definitely use Craftsman Direct again for needed repairs on our house. We have a 2 story home with 3 large "fake" dormers -all 3 dormers were rotting and needed to be totally rebuilt. Also there were areas inside the dormers that had been filled up with leaves and debris - evidently from a squirrel invasion! All 3 dormers were rebuilt and painted. Also, Craftsman Direct repaired a wooden gate which had basically fallen apart, they installed a fire alarm, and repaired several outside and interior switches that did not work. We could not be more pleased with all the work that Craftsman Direct did for us! read more

Lee is absolutely fabulous!!! I am a Real Estate Broker and have been using Craftsman Direct for many years. There are three reasons I give Lee Smoak and Craftsman Direct my highest recommendation. 1. They are on time. With my appointments, with my estimates, and with my completed jobs. 2. Price competitive. When I spot check their estimates with other companies I find their estimates to be right in the middle of the big expensive companies. National Chains that have to pay a huge ad budget and little locals that are suspect of take my deposit and run go change your phone number. Or finish and leave me with a hidden mess.... and go change your phone number. 3. Warranty, warranty, and warranty. Honestly, most companies, once they finish a project and get paid you would be hard pressed to get them to call you back. My experience with Lee and Craftsman Direct is that he puts my warranty issue, only been one in 12 years.... as a top priority. AND if I can pick a fourth.... They have a core group of about 7 guys I have worked with over the years primarily doing handyman project but there have been several bathroom remodeling projects too. Great at rotting wood, pressure cleaning, painting and punch list. Give us a call at Fonville Morisey and we can definitely help you with your next home. Lee will do a great job getting your new home remodeled and repaired. read more

I have used Craftsman Direct's services for, I think, close to a decade now and they are my go-to provider for basic household repair/handyman work. I have found their pricing to be very reasonable and they have been able to handle some jobs that were a little more complex than average. I have not had a problem with any of the work that has been done; there has never been a need for follow-up/touch-up work, and some of these repairs have now been "in service" for quite some time. I also respect that CD is very upfront about work that doesn't need to be done. In my opinion, CD does a good job of outlining what the project requires, what it will take in terms of time and money, and what your options are in terms of doing the job. We have never had a problem getting work started or finished promptly, and I do believe they schedule work in a way that is appropriate to the situation (we've had emergency-type work started very quickly). I would also note that they are good about clean-up and not leaving messes behind (even with multi-day projects) read more

Craftsman Direct was an absolutely professional and easy experience. My roommates and I contacted Craftsman Direct to have some cosmetic repairs done on our house. Lee came and listened attentively to what we needed, and provided an estimate that he stuck to exactly. Lee patched up holes in our wall, fixed a staircase, porch railing, trim molding, and repainted everything. After Lee finished his work, the place looked brand new and you couldn't even tell any repairs had been done. Lee was incredibly personable, punctual, and stayed right on budget. I'm sure our house was easy work for him, but his craftsmanship was very impressive - a true perfectionist. You really cannot go wrong with Craftsman Direct. Very professional operation. read more

We had these guys come out last weekend and do some work to our house. Lee replaced and painted a bunch of damaged siding we had, he made it look brand new. He also cleared out our gutters that hadn't been cleaned in years. I was very impressed with how knowledgable he was and how quickly he was able to get everything fixed up. He showed up early and worked literally all day long. He was very honest and transparent about everything. While he was fixing some trim he had to remove an electrical box from our house. The door to our storage room with the circuit breaker was broken, he noticed that and he fixed that for us too! I can't recommend Craftsman Direct enough! read more

I have to admit, this may be a first... I've asked Lee many questions online/email about privacy fencing and I've received nothing but great information, ideas and techniques that are all helpful. I don't even live in the same state and wish I could hire Craftsman Direct to install our fence. I would have total faith in Craftsman compared to the locals we have already talked to. I've emailed Lee several times with an answer immediately following, that is helping us move slowly through the process of obtaining the best product and service expectation from the local contractors. Lee, thank you very much! read more

We hired Craftsman Direct to secure the exterior of a blighted and vandalized home. The property needed to be secured to reduce liability and help prevent future damage. We received a fair quote and the work was done well. Since the needed work was primarily to reduce liability for us, the property owners, it was important that it be done quickly. Craftsman Direct worked with us to ensure the work was done in a timely manner. We were happy with their work and have brought them in to do repairs for several of our other properties. What a relief to find a handyman that we trust and can depend on! read more

I had a great experience with Lee at Craftsman Direct. Lee arrived on time, did a thorough inspection of the job at hand (ceiling water damage), and left me with a detailed quote that included his notes, pictures, and even video. I finally decided to have the work done 1.5 years later (which was no problem at all). Lee did a great job, demonstrating obvious passion and knowledge in his craft as we chatted. In the end, the job was done right, for a fair price, and by friendly people, so thank you! read more

Lee Smaok at Craftsmen Direct is amazing. he came to do some exterior repairs and found things I had totally missed. He used top notch materials and in many cases better than what was originally used. He photographically documents everything.This guy knows his stuff. He also went the extra mile to economize and minimize materials to keep costs down. The price was a lot less than I could have imagined for what he did. I would highly recommend Craftsmen Direct and would use him again in a heartbeat. read more

Lee and Cody just completed a number of inside repairs to my home that had sticking doors, cracking sheetrock, and insulation issues. Over several days, they were completely professional, very detailed, and committed to doing the very best job. They cleaned up after each day's work and kept me informed on the issues they found. The quality of work was excellent, the price was very reasonable and I would hire them again if the need arose. Doug Eader read more

amazing! i have been nothing short of thrilled by the work that was done in my house! Rick did such a great job replacing the bathroom floor in my main bathroom! he was courteous and polite. the quality of the work done is A++. my floor feels solid and looks great ! i would recommend and use these guys for all my repair needs again and again read more

Craftsman Direct did a really good job painting our home. Doug, the project manager came over, on time and gave us a fair quote. Competitive with the other companies. What made us choose Craftsman was the other Yelp reviews we read really impressed us. So we gave them a shot and was not the least bit disappointed. read more

I recently hired Craftsman Direct to change my deck and work in my kitchen (plus some other wood work around the house). Everything was very professionally done for a reasonnable price and my house looks like new! These guys are great! Philippe from Durham read more

We hired Craftsman Direct to fix a popcorn ceiling issues and they came out quickly, fixed the repair to our satisfaction, and charged a reasonable price. I was pleased on the whole. Would use them again. -Nick, Durham NC read more