Neighborhood store on Lawrence in Chicago. Good people work there like good neighbors. Good selection and prices.

This is the ONLY place that sells Weiman Cooktop Cleaner Paste for half the price what Lowe's and Amazon charges. Every hardware store sells the liquid but the paste is what hardcore Polish cleaning ladies use--and you don't argue with Polish cleaning ladies. This is a bit of a hike for me to get to but well worth it for nostalgia because we all love an old school hardware store. read more

Really recommend this place! My landlord has been giving me the run around about replacing my CO alarm, and Will was very nice and sympathetic and went above and beyond to help. Excellent customer service-- exactly why shopping local is the best read more

I stopped in because I need to re-screen my window screens. So in I went with my screen to ensure I got all the right items. I wasn't sure where things were so I wandered around a bit looking. I was there for about 10 minutes and stumbled upon the right sort of materials to complete the task. Unfortunately, I wasn't acknowledged at any point whilst I was in the store. I looked for a staff member but couldn't find any besides the person at the register and heard someone talking to another customer. I didn't want to get the wrong size item and I also wanted to make sure I could get everything, since I won't do I until I have all the necessary items. It could be that I was here at a busy time or something, but... that still doesn't help me an no one so much as said hello as I wandered the aisles. So I left and will see if I can find these things at another store, and hopefully there will be someone around willing to offer me some help for my project. read more

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Lawrence Store. The lady at the service counter was rude beyond belief. She claimed to be the owner of the store. Never again will I enter that store. read more

Crafty Beaver Home Center - Hardware Stores Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I was in a very stressful situation today. I lost my wallet, so I had no id or method of payment. My passport was in my storage unit ,but the lock was jammed. I went to the local Crafty Beaver on Lawrence and explained my situation to Jacob. He listened attentively, and in a calm and professional manner, he offered me a series of options I could pursue to purchase the lock cutter. I was able to purchase it due to Jacob's critical thinking skills and limitless patience. I now have my passport in hand and can take the steps to get a new driver's license. Jacob set a new standard for not only top tier customer service, but also insight and compassion. Qusai Khalil read more

I always go to local home goods stores, but this one is the best. The workers want to know about your projects and give you advice, and help you stay within budget. They have everything you'd need and it's well organized. read more

Man, the Crafty Beaver has gone downhill. This has been my go to place but I recently went to get some wood and have it cut. I live in a condo without much room for projects. I went in and gave exact measurements. None of them were cut correct and they were all on an angle. I asked what the deal was and was told their saw blade was bent and that was how cuts were, only after I paid and all the wood was cut. You are a hardware store, get a new blade. This incompetence would up costing me hours to fix what they screwed up. How dare a place offer to cut wood at a charge and then not be able to actually do it. read more

I frequently judge a business by the attitude and service provided by the staff. Even when I am clueless and ask dumb questions, I have this crazy expectation that staff should be willing to be patient and help me find exactly what I want without giving me attitude. In the case of Crafty Beaver, all my expectations have been met. No matter how ignorant I am about hardware and that I kind of, sort of, know what I want only some of the time, the people who work here are always patient, cooperative, and make me feel like they appreciate my business. Thats not common anymore. Since buying a condo in 2022 after many years of renting and expecting the landlord to do maintenance tasks, all that's on me now, and I have only the barest knowledge. I do get kind of embarrassed that I'm so dumb, but I never get that from the people at Crafty Beaver. I've asked for help with furnace filters, bug killing, what to use to clean wood floors, how to seal windows, the best nails and picture hangars to use for different sizes and weights of pictures and mirrors, even for advice about the Nest heating system, and Ive gotten good help and advice. The window isn't letting in so much cold air. None of my wall hangings have fallen down. I'm changing furnace filters at the recommended time. It's all been good. I'm very grateful to have a neighborhood hardware store where I feel comfortable to as questions and that I get good answers. It definitely takes some of the stress out of being an owner for the first time, knowing that I can get help and advice. read more

When you live in a 100+ year old space you better be friends with the local hardware shop. Fine selection, helpful staff, and a new rewards program. read more

The best salesman is not the cashier or the associates but the customers word of mouth. In this case much time is wasted for two special order custom doors of 84 inches in height by 30 in width And the other 84 inch height 32 width 6-8 weeks for delivery and they incorrectly made the order of 82inches & 1/4 inches in height. Both doors total cast after taxes Even numbers - $1,500 (for two custom natural oak solid core doors) 6-8 weeks time wasted for an incorrect no return order. Apart from that the staff Each and every single person Have the most horrible attitude to tend to the customers. Horrific. Try another crafty beaver because even someone like Terrance will hang your phone call and repeatedly make one repeat them selves and again click and hang the phone call to a general contractor. Especially a customer. Lots of wasted time now to wait for one door to be covered by crafty and the other to me. How crazy. The one reason I made the order was the doors in 84 inches in height and they still wipe there's asses on me. Train your associates better and don't waste the customers time. Fix your attitude every single associate in the store. I will be back for future business and hopefully better review but horrible experience. read more

I love the Crafty Beaver! I was building floating shelves in our walk-in closet and was able to walk in and ask them to cut the pine shelving to size, and the boards were already primed with white paint. This old-school hardware store is my favorite place to get supplies for home projects. We don't have a circular saw and Crafty Beaver comes through! read more

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Never again. I keep giving them chances and keep getting burned. The other reviews weren't lying. I went in for a Christmas tree, and there were two left: one was dry, one was REALLY dry. I asked the perfectly fair question, "If I trim back the trunk and put it in water, do you think I can revive it?" And I was met with THE most annoyed and condescending shrug followed by: "What you see is what you get" from the shorter associate with thick glasses and slicked back hair. I purposely tried to avoid him because he is ALWAYS so unnecessarily condescending any time I've had to deal with him. He's out of some SNL sketch - like the hardware store equivalent of "Nick Burns: Your Company's Computer Guy." Which is a shame, because every other person in there is a decent human, and treats you as such. At least the ones I've interacted with. I don't know why this guy is so mad at the world, but this was a Christmas tree - can you imagine if I needed help with something major? I understand they were marked down by $20, but, still, at $80 - which isn't nothing - ethically, you should stand behind what you're selling. No one wants to buy a lemon. And it wasn't like it was last-minute - it's still two weeks until Christmas. I hated to give them my business, especially when they wouldn't even trim back the trunk as anyone selling trees does, especially when there's an entire cast of employees and probably a million-and-one handsaws laying around. (I had to borrow one from my friend, which was a whole other errand.) It just would have been good customer service, especially as some witnessed the unnecessary attitude of this guy. But my brother died this summer, and Christmas was a big deal to him, so I wanted to get a tree to honor him and really do it up this year, and everywhere else was selling trees only 5' and under without getting completely sauced by the price. I just hate it was such a negative experience for something that should be fun and easy - and in this case, special. I get this review and the countless like it will do nothing. That guy will still keep his job and he will not change. I get they're an institution and will not miss my business - I only go there because it's literally right around the corner. But I would rather walk up Clark to Andersonville Hardware Store where the staff is not only pleasant - and consistently so (read the reviews!) - but they help you without all the theatrics. read more

After trying to distance myself from big box stores like Home Depot, I was excited to move to Uptown this past fall and see that there was a local hardware store I could go to. Unfortunately, after three visits to get moving and condo essentials, I am sad to report that I will not go back. I found the staff to be very condescending, rude, and sarcastic when they were helping me. I am someone who does not have a background in hardware and there are many things I don't know. In my mind a good hardware store is where you can go to ask questions, get advice, and learn (and obviously get all the supplies you need). I got all the supplies, but the staff made it clear they did not want to be helping me. I'll also add that my male partner called ahead of time to ask some questions about our order. On the phone, they were courteous and helpful to him. When I (a woman) walked in about 30 minutes later to get the things discussed on the phone and asked the same questions, they treated me like I was an idiot. Sadly, I'll use Home Depot as my go-to after my multiple experiences here. read more

I went to the Crafty Beaver the other day you pick up a part for my stove I've been going to this place since I was eight years old with my father and when I got there the other day the staff were-not courteous they were rude and act as they were doing me a favor by talking to me I think the management needs to have a sit down with the staff about how to treat customers because I dealt with three different people I got the same attitude hopefully they'll clean up their act read more

Everyone here is always super helpful and friendly. I needed some two by fours cut for a small project and living in a condo, I do not have yard space to make any lumber cuts. They cut everything exactly as requested and were great about it. I highly recommend this place! read more

First time here and staff was very unorganized. It took a phone call and a 20 minute wait at the store with my receipt for them to find my custom order that was ready. Not really friendly team members either. read more

I've got the Beaver Fever! (that's what she said) I've never been particularly fond of my kitchen. To say that one of the prior owners did a half-assed remodel job would be a gross understatement. From the visible broken tiles to cram the dishwasher in, to the many layers of floor tile making my kitchen 1.5" higher than the rest of my condo - there wasn't much I liked about my kitchen except the fact that it was serviceable. It wasn't until the door on my sink cabinet completely broke off that I decided to take action and end the cycle of painful stubbed toes and cursing. Not budgeting for a new kitchen, I was hoping to fix my major issues properly, but cheaply. I decided to only address the base cabinets, floor and countertop - my biggest pain points. Going this route, I needed to remain with the same cabinet manufacturer. Most of the resellers were kitchen and bath designers, which to me meant $$$$. My project was basic and a designer wasn't necessary, so I decided to give Crafty Beaver a shot. Don't let the fact that the Beaver is a hardware store fool you. On the second floor they have a small kitchen and bath section and lots of spec books and samples to peruse. If you're looking to work with your own contractor or DIY, I highly recommend the Beaver. If you want a lot of guidance or someone to design the space for you, you're probably better off with one of the $$$ places. When I was ready to place my order, I was referred to Terrence. Terrence is amazing with a capital A. He ensured I ordered the right items, kept me apprised of my order status, helped me arrange delivery* and emailed me my receipt. Terrence is very friendly and genuine, I never felt like he was patronizing or trying to oversell me. In fact, and I'm not sure how, my whole order came in well below the rough estimate I created using the manufacturer's price book. Even though there are other stores closer to my house, I can see myself being a repeat customer; everyone I encountered was friendly and knowledgeable. It also doesn't hurt that they have a parking lot across the street. * Delivery is curbside. Fortunately, the delivery guy took pity on me and brought my big base cabinet up to my apartment. Otherwise, I'd probably still be trying to figure out how to get it up to my unit. read more

If this would have been last month or anytime prior in the last decade, I would have been giving this place 5 ++++ stars. Always a massive fan of the CBeav, friends and family alike know I raved about the place, constantly tagging it on FB and recommending it to everyone I knew. However, quite an odd experience when I went in a few Saturdays ago to buy a few coaxial cables. There were only a few people in the store. Not busy. I spent a bit of time trying to locate the cables, couldn't find them so I asked the woman behind the counter, who grumpily pointed to the whole floor and snarled "there". Again, I walked up and down a few aisles without any luck, to turn around and ask her again if she would mind more specifically letting me know (she was not talking to a customer). She again grunted, "THERE". This forced me to explain that I didn't know what "there" was and I needed specifics. At that point, she explained to me where the items were, and I was able to locate them. A trip that should have taken me 5 minutes turned into 20 b/c this woman decided she was too bothered to be remotely cordial. To an extremely loyal customer. Well, this customer is loyal no more. I will not be going back. read more

The employees are rude and condescending if you need any help at all. They get annoyed with you as soon as you enter the store. I refuse to shop here anymore because of it. It's a shame too as the store usually has what I need. read more

Best. Name. EVER! I want a tee shirt. Oh, good resource for home fix-it too, knowledgeable. read more

Being a professional it's great that they have a store located here in Andersonville. My crews many days need wood or hardware and these guys always have what we need. The staff is knowledgeable and helpful. It's great to have these guys local. They have been a local company for so many years. Keep up the great job Crafty Beaver. read more

The staff can be very knowledgeable and helpful, specially those on the floor. I find the team behind the counter tends to be less customer service inclined. read more

My favorite hardware store. Staff are always helpful and knowledgable. Way better service and experience overall than the bigger hardware stores. Parking is at the back of the store. Reasonable prices. My go-to whenever I need something for the house, which seems like all of the time. Bonus points for the cute mascot. read more

The Montrose store was going out of business, which is near my house, 1/2 block away, I have a deck project and am also a contractor, I went in to purchase ALL of their bagged concrete, almost 2 full pallets. I needed it delivered 1/2 block to my home. At first they were dismissive and kept asking me why I couldn't haul it......im sorry I thought I was the customer, I was apparently wrong. When I asked" management" and I use that term loosely, they had every excuse why they couldn't. They have lost all personal and business side of my patronage, I kinda hope all of them slowly die out. read more

Love this store and have been going for years BUT the staff (particularly the woman that is always at the front) is without exception rude and terribly unhelpful. I've never written a bad review before and always try to shop local, but if you need help with a project you may not find it here. read more

These doomed stores are like living in an episode of "The Office." No one seems happy to work there (and physically, they're not headed to Broadway anytime soon). Are they open? Are they closed? It's a clever mystery built into their IVR. Nobody knows. That ONE THING you need? They don't have. But if you're looking to meet Stevie from "Schitt's Creek"? This is the place. read more

Its great for all those Crafty Individuals in search of Rope, bleach, and a few Ski-masks. A combination only Macgyver could appreciate.

So, let's just say sometimes I go on home redecorating sprees...as kind of a spur of the moment type of thing. Some people get tattoos, pierced, do drugs, drink or eat themselves into a coma when they are seeking an outlet....well, I paint. Or move furniture. Or sell it. Yes, it was absolutely necessary that I paint my window sills a more brilliant white. Facing out to a bus route street, they get grimy, and turn grey. It was an emergency, but I did not want to brave the cute couples adjacent to each other, lovingly looking at paint swatches at the Home Depot on Halsted (closest one to me). I also did not want to comb my hair. So, slap on my gnome hat, and head to Crafty Beaver, where I can peruse very suitable paints in relative peace, and where the guys will help me find whatever I need. It's just small enough to be accessible, but they've got almost anything you'd need for home projects, at about the same price. PLUS! Lots of home cleaning products for like a buck. It's amazing. I can't leave without picking up ya know, a can of oven cleaner, orange spray, bleach wipes, etc. It's just so cheap. Oh, and did I mention no lovely dovely couples milling about in the appliance section, pondering which high efficiency washer/dryer might go well in their 3 bedroom townhome? Yeah, that's a perk ;) T Free parking across the street. The guys will help you load stuff into your car if its big, too. Cheers to self...ahem...home improvement! read more

It's a city-sized Home Depot. And it's too cute. Besides the name (though I like John B's and his friend's better) this place was down right adorable. No overload of 20 different brands of something. Three MAX. And there's a second floor?! How did I miss this? Actually, I had margaritas at Garcia's on the brain and was just heading down the street and thought, "Oh! Beaver!" Or something like that.... Aaannywho, this place has parking, affordable prices, the aisle of nails, the aisle of plumbers pipes, cleaning supplies, etc etc Too much fun though out of my way - but when I don't want to deal with the over sized behemoth that is Home Depot, I will be here. And I will find the elusive second floor! read more

$59 for a 1 mile delivery and $10 fuel surcharge. Next time I'll go to Menards, rent a truck for $20, go to Home Depot, buy my materials and still come out $50 ahead. read more

I visited this store for the 1st time today. The staff was not friendly at all. I received stares that I interpreted as , "what are you doing here?" Not 1 staff member said a word to me until I actually asked a question. It's a shame this type of conduct still exists in the 21st century. They will never get my money. read more

I went to this place about a dozen times while I was working on a store I rented ahead of opening my business. I have ALWAYS rented, and usually make a repair around my home by calling the landlord. I must look like, because every time I went in here someone asked me what I needed help with. I can't speak to the prices with any certainty as I am usually not the market for the things I was picking up at Crafty Beaver, but I appreciated all the assistance. They also have a parking lot. read more

Not very helpful or nice workers to begin with. The older white gentlemen that helped me was chewing gum while taking care of me. Not a good look for a business. read more

Okay, first of all this place is a lot bigger than you would ever imagine because it's not just on one side of the street. Second, they always have whatever I need for the little projects it seems like I'm constantly doing. It's so much easier to get to than just about any other hardware store, too. I am solidly in the not-knowing-anything-about-this-stuff zone, but every time I've gone in, they've been super helpful and I've always walked out with what I needed. But they clearly also have the stuff you'd need for bigger, more impressive projects (the part on the other side of the street is wood). read more

*THIS* is what is great about supporting locally owned and run businesses. They will not have everything you may need hardware wise but they are SUPER friendly and give GREAT service. Pleasure to deal with and they have parking too. Will definitely be going back for most common hardware store needs. read more

Forget Home Depot. Crafty Beaver is a billion times more friendly, approachable, knowledgeable, and happy to help you. I've had three different projects now where I've gone to the Home Depot lumber center and been told "we don't do that," and then gone to Crafty Beaver and had them happily go above and beyond for me. They don't have the stock of Home Depot or Lowe's, but they have most everything you need, and you absolutely CANNOT beat the service. read more

Best local lumber yard in existence. Best staff-all my homies-I love them. If they don't have it you don't need it. Dont forget about the 2nd floor stuff. read more

Every time I have ever gone into the store the staff has been helpful and patient. Also have had several custom doors made there and was very happy with the product and at least a 1/3 less than Home Depot's prices on doors. Matt is the man to see when it comes to ordering your doors. Love the crafty beaver!!! read more

What else can I say..Patrick and Noel were EXCEPTIONALLY helpful and nice to me today! I was looking for a board specific to the size of our window bench. They spent time with me to help select and cut a perfectly fit piece. It's no wonder I love CB so much. Nice, friendly, helpful, and personalized service that you get from a neighborhood store. Unlike HD. Thanks guys, for making my day! read more