[This review is for receiving a service a couple years ago from Diablo Valley handyman, I just totally forgot about writing the review until now. Oops sorry!] I was putting my home up for sale and needed a few small repairs before the home inspection. Well, I totally got my dates mixed up and it turned out that I only had two days to make these fixes (otherwise they'd be marked on the inspection report, which we didn't want! I ended up calling Diablo Valley handyman as they were recommended to me by a neighbor. I called first thing in the morning, and I believe I spoke with the actual owner (James.) I told him my situation and even though it sounded like he had a pretty full schedule, he was able to have somebody up the very next day to not only assess everything, but actually make the repairs! We needed to have a fence repaired , a new staircase hand-railing put up, some minor trim fixes around our windows. And then quite a few window screens needed replacing. (We have cats, lol) The fact that they were able to come out on such short notice, make all the repairs in one day, plus the guys that showed up to do the work were warm and friendly! After all of this, I absolutely expected to pay a high premium, however, the invoice came back for a more than reasonable amount! (It was a bit higher than the original estimate over the phone, but that was our fault because we forgot to tell them about the window screens!) Getting ready to sell a house is maddening and so stressful. Do Diablo Valley handyman was one of the only aspects that put us at ease during this entire process! Unfortunately, we moved quite a bit further away so we fall out of these guys' service zone now, but that's part of the reason why I wanted to make sure I wrote this review.... because I never forgot the awesome service we received! read more

Met with James and Eric while I was getting bids and they were very helpful in discussing and understanding the scope of work for my project. I liked them the best out of all the contractors/handymen I talked to and felt they were very reasonable for cost and schedule. My project consisted of new stucco, trim, framing, and painting for my garage; and drywall and baseboard work inside. Mark and Alvaro completed the work and did a fantastic job. Mark kept me informed with all the progress each day, and his attention to detail ensured that everything ended up looking great. Overall, I had a really good experience with them and will plan to contact them again for any future projects. read more

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I wrote a review to my recent experience with this company however I've just received an email from the owner and have removed it upon receiving contact from the owner about seeing how some of the issues might be resolved. I'll follow up with a review soon. read more

Just bought a house in Brentwood and had a number of small repairs to address from the home inspection. It wasn't a big job but, Diablo Valley Handyman went above and beyond with their free & quick estimate, communication and professionalism every step of the way. I was pleasantly surprised when James returned my call over a holiday weekend and within 24 hours of my sending them a copy of our home inspection and repair list, I had an estimate in hand. They were able to schedule the job quickly and did a variety of work from securing a lose toilet to removing some questionable wiring the former owner left, to removing the unsightly satellite dishes we're not going to use. Moving and buying a home is stressful so I'm super grateful James and his team were able to help so quickly and left us one less thing to worry about! We've got some larger projects on the horizon so we'd definitely give them a call to come back. 5 stars all the way! Review #35 of 100 review goal in 2021 read more

The service and communication was good. Price was fair and transparent. I would use again. For reference, I had three plastic storage sheds installed that took them about 3 hours to do, which was very reasonable. I will use their services again for future projects. read more

Diablo Valley Handyman - Before installation. - Handyman Near Me

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I needed a hole drilled in granite counter and used Yelp to get quotes. Most of the companies refused the job because of the risk of cracking the granite, but Diablo Valley gave me a reasonable price and scheduled the work immediately. Justin arrived on time with mask and shoe covers. He drilled the hole perfectly and without leaving any trace of dust or debris. I will definitely call DV Handyman for any future jobs I have! read more

Worked with James to have a large hole in my ceiling patched up. He was quick to come out and survey the project and provide an estimate. His guys did great work and were professional on site. I've since engaged with DV Handyman for some other projects and have been consistently impressed by the following: Things Done Very Well: 1. Very responsive and quick to survey a project 2. Offers multiple solutions or approaches to a project instead of zeroing in on the easiest or cheapest solution. 3. Ease of payment and fair rates 4. They chose not to schedule the first person able to complete my job, but the person they thought best fit for the work. Always better to wait a little longer for the right person, great to see they weren't just in a rush to get it done. read more

OMG!!! These guys are professional and excellent!!! What started off as a small stucco job turned into removing the rim joist and raising my kitchen 2 inches. They arrived on the first day four or five of them all working together to raise the side of my house. With no damage to my countertop or backsplash. They went above and beyond the scope of work. Patching stucco spots on my house and even filling in the cracks in my side yard. They showed up every day they said they would. Left my property very clean. Even power washed my patio. I had to get this done in the middle of a pandemic. I called multiple companies. James the boss was the only one to return my phone call. Every time I had a question he returned my phone call or text properly. They are the best!!! read more

Diablo Valley Handyman - Before - Handyman Near Me

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Dwight and Anatol did a great job with some work we needed done including drywall repair and installation of a steel gate post to replace a wood post that was loose. They were on time, knowledgeable, and friendly. Will definitely call again. read more

**EDIT** - read all of James' responses to the negative reviews he received and judge for yourself if you want to hire such a person. Some were removed because they violated Yelp's guidelines. Long overdue review from 2020. In short, late for appointments, no followup, no shows, left large paint stains on wall and floor, rudeness, failure to finish simple projects I didn't want to write a review until I calmed down. I called Diablo Valley Handyman in July of 2020 to do a number of things on our Orinda home rental before the new tenants moved in. James was very pleasant on the phone. Because there was a major EBMUD project on the narrow streets on the hill during that time, I called and left messages many times to remind them about it and to give them the alternate route. I work and I scheduled the appointment 1 hr before I would have to leave for work. However, they were over 1 hr and 45 min late, and my husband had to replace me to wait for them. There was no reply to my texts and calls for over half hr when we tried to find out what was going on. When they got there, the guy just wanted to stick adhesive foam padding around the attic entrance, instead of installing heavy duty rubber like we wanted them to. So we passed on that. 9/25/20 - they installed the blinds and some bathroom drawer faces. There was a drawer face missing, and James said he would check on it. No word in a month, so I emailed them 10/26/20 to find out what happened. He hadn't followed up on it. 11/20/20 - the drawer face arrived and James scheduled installation 11/24/20. 11/23/20, I got an email saying they would be there around noon 11/24. No show on 11/24. I emailed them twice to find out what happened - no answer. 12/1/20 Jason called and asked "what happened? We didn't come out?" He asked - do you still want us to come and install the drawer faces? " He refused to reschedule until 12/22 because "we can't just walk off other jobs". I was really upset so they came 12/4/20 and replaced the rest of the drawer faces but left large stains on the bathroom wall and floor. No one answered my calls till 12/7/20 - James said that someone would come out that week to remove the stains. No one ever scheduled a time to come out and they never returned. I was so angry after the repeated infractions and the person who answered the phone the times I called was so cavalier and nonchalant, sounding very uninterested and "unfocused" on the phone - I said he sounded "high". I don't even know if he ever passed on the messages because no one ever called me till many times later. James called me back and said that they weren't going to come out because I was rude and angry. I said after everything they did to us, I was justified!! All I can say is that I'm glad I hadn't paid the whole amount of the estimate to them. Read my other reviews on services; the vast majority are very complimentary. It takes a lot for me to write such a negative review. read more

I requested for a quote to for a sliding door, shower tap and a vertical blind. The quote I received was $875, and I assumed this must be because the fixes are complicated. The Handyman spent about 30 mins fixing the door & tap, but couldn't fix the blinds (to their credit they did mention in their quote that they may not be able to fix it). But $875 for less than 1 hour job for 1 person seems overly priced. I will not be using their services again! read more

They were friendly and super-responsive to our inquiries. Devon and Caleb were courteous and professional, and did quality work replacing a section of our fence. We originally requested repair of several panels, but upon finding that one of the posts was not fully anchored, we appreciated that they worked with us to do the job in a day. The fence looks great, and they charged us fairly even when it was more work than originally expected. We will definitely use them for further repairs! read more

Diablo Valley Handyman - Replaced fence by Diablo Valley Handyman. - Handyman Near Me

I'll start by saying that I do not want to have to write this negative review, but unfortunately, our experience with James/Diablo Valley Handyman ("DVH") was not so great. We also gave them an opportunity to contact us to fix things, but they have chosen to not respond. While the field guys are nice, we will not hire James/DVH again. We hired James and his team for a couple minor projects a few months ago including installing a new door sweep on our front door. Unfortunately, the door sweep started falling off less than a month after it was installed. We then finally got around to having DVH come out and replace the door sweep again. James was nice about this warranty call. Also, since they were coming out to replace the door sweep again, we also hired them to update the caulking on our kitchen and bathroom counters. James and I agreed upon a price and a date to complete the projects. On the project day, my husband reached out to James to see if his guys could also repair one of our sprinkler heads that appeared to be leaking. James thanked my husband for asking and provided us with their hourly rate. Their hourly rate did not seem very fair since we would be charged for the hour trip to/from Home Depot which is not close to our home (there is an Ace Hardware within 10 minutes of our home but they do not have an account with Ace). While it was annoying, we agreed on a fixed price for the package of projects. James's team was very friendly and nice, and they also tried to move as quickly as possible which we appreciated. However, the sprinkler head was still leaking after they left unfortunately. We contacted James who then had his guy come out to take a look a couple days later. His guy said it would better to have our landscaper fix it. So as you can imagine that was a great feeling - we paid for the labor/time to fix it to not have it fixed. Then a day later the caulking in our bathroom began to come off less than a week after they installed it. We reached out to James a couple times who then said he would contact us, but we have not heard from him or his team as promised. Also, in James's initial response to us, he was annoyed that we added the sprinkler job at the last minute and he also complained about having to come out each time for one job. Well first, James has every right to turn down a project including last minute ones that are added. There was never any hesitation when we initially asked so I do not think it is fair or professional to blame us. Secondly, the warranty visits are not our fault. We can't control the quality of their work and/or when things fall apart. Again, I do not think it is appropriate to blame your customer for YOUR work. We are very disappointed with DVH with not only the quality of their work, but also their poor customer service. I also feel like we have been cheated a couple hundred dollars. We would not recommend. read more

We had two huge wooden floating shelves we needed installed. Dwight and Trevor were very nice and efficient, they installed the shelves quickly and did a great job. We will definitely be using Diablo Valley Handyman for future projects! Thank you. read more

Diablo Valley Handyman - Two gorgeous floating shelves in our kitchen. - Handyman Near Me

I used the Request a Quote feature recently when a tile lifted in my master bathroom and got water on our wall. James responded very quickly and was out to do a detailed quote for that and some other jobs I've gotten blind to over the years. What was even better was the entire thing was done electronically - perfect for a working mama trying to fit this in between finals, December craziness and a vacation. Fast forward to today. Dwight and Shawn arrived right at 8am as promised. While they had the estimate from James on hand, they had me walk through each room so they fully understood what I wanted. Since James had come out a couple of other small things broke and they agreed to add to the punch list. I'm amazed at just how much they accomplished in one work day: - Tile lifted and reset in master bath - water damage on wall repaired - bath recaulked all the way around - two faucets retightened - a door rehung, - outdoor lighting drilled and hung from deck - shelving in two closets installed - new USB electric plates installed throughout the house - other random odds and ends I'd love to say this list just popped up all at once, but honestly a bunch of them have just been bugging me for years. James, Dwight and Shawn were all wonderful to have in the home and careful of my dogs and children underfoot. Will definitely be using them again. Now that I know how simple they are to use and the quality of their work I won't wait four years again before calling someone out! read more

I recently moved to the area and began to run a facility with MANY repair and maintenance issues. Devon and the folks at Diablo scheduled some time and began working on a shortlist that I had compiled so I could see how well we all work together. That list grew as I became confident in their work. There was a bit of a hiccup in how a couple of lights were installed initially but Alvaro outlined exactly what he saw that needed to be adjusted and Francisco arrived the next day and reworked the hiccups and began a whole new list of issues that I have been waiting to have fixed. Repairs, maintenance, and fix-it issues with 30-40-year-old pieces and parts are not easy but Francisco made quick work of them. His attention to detail and his logic on when to repair and when to replace was extremely helpful. Especially since I am a die-hard use it until it implodes type of person. That is not always the best solution when using it means spending an hour or two repairing it every single week for months on end. The overall price is fair and the speed of response and of work completed was excellent. I do recommend having an idea of what pieces and parts you need overall because trips to home depot can add up in driving time billable hours when not prepared in advance. I have another long list for other repairs and updates and Diablo is who ill call for it. read more

Scheduling was easy, they were on time and I was happy with the work done by Jake. I would definetly consider them for any future work! read more

Thanks to James Yancey for helping me fix the electrical problem in our lamp -- he talked me through it over the phone and now all the bulbs work again! If you need any handy work done, I highly recommend James. He's honest, fair, talented, and easy to get along with. He's also a killer hiker. read more

Diablo Valley Handyman - James helped me fix my lamp -- it was a wiring issue -- so now all the bulbs work again! - Handyman Near Me

Flawless experience. I was looking for a handyman on Yelp and Diablo Valley was the first to respond. All communication was quick, straightforward, and professional. They scheduled me for a job a week away. When I told them I preferred a morning spot, it was very easy to reschedule. The installer, Jeff, was courteous, professional, and FAST. He called an hour before the appointment to check if he could show up early. Am I dreaming? This is a welcome change from installers who have you wondering if they'll ever show up. Jeff got the job done quickly, cleaned up after, and I even got a movie recommendation out of it. Best of all, the project was cheaper than expected. (Mind blown.) Highly recommend Diablo Valley Handyman and I will use them again in the future. read more

Diablo Valley Handyman is fantastic. Incredibly professional. We had a long list of odds and ends that needed to be done and they took care of it all. In particular, we needed someone to install a chandelier ceiling box. Diablo was the only outfit we spoke to who could handle the electrical, drywall and paint work together. And Francisco did an amazing job! The drywall patchwork is practically invisible. I'm looking forward to working with them again. read more

My husband and I have been using James and his team for a few years now. They renovated our bathroom and it turned out perfect! They also put in recessed lighting in our kitchen and helped fix our front door. I highly recommend them. They are very professional and so easy to work with. Our next project is to have them put in plantation shutters in our home. Looking forward to the end result. read more

Sorry to leave this, but... No show, no call, no email. We bought all the parts we needed, gave him all of our contact info that he requested..full name, address & phone. Had an appt scheduled for 11/5 & no one showed up & no contact as of today 11/16. I understand bc of Covid they may be short handed...but they should at least reach out. read more

Wow, great work on a tricky job! We needed 3 large frames (two were 4x3+ ft, one 3x3+ ft) hung precisely up a tall skinny wall with a cathedral ceiling. James sent out two guys that really took their time measuring and balancing each piece, and keeping the spacing between them perfect. The work is flawless- the lines are straight as a razor. It saved me a day of frustration by hiring this crew! Absolutely a fair price for the job too. read more

Diablo Valley Handyman - Handyman Near Me

My review is not based on their service, but based on their communication in yelp and email. Request from quote from Yelp since their response record is pretty good according to Yelp. James reply and asked for pictures. I reply to his private email with detail description and pictures, no response for a day. I sent with Yelp message, James reply within a few hour and asked for picture again. I said I already sent to your email. He replied with Yelp message and said he saw it now. Three days went by, no response or quote given. They will reply you if you message them through Yelp in order to keep their response time look good in Yelp. But they actually not doing a good job in giving quote or answering question on email. I got my problem fixed with another company that quoted me based on my photo and description. There is no point to have someone come and give a quote which may or may not fixed the problem with a reasonable price. read more

Not so sure if this outfit came to inspect my garage roof and my neighbor fence and my deck repair estimate. Two guys showed up and inspected said job but never ever again seen them in written estimate to be sent to me, regardless of calling many times over, no call back! This outfit is out right irresponsible! Never wanting to associate with these guys for any needed job, rather dealing with the Mafia than call on this company ever again!... read more

James sent two awesome gentlemen to mount/install my TV above my fireplace. They did an incredible job. They were extremely professional and knowledgeable. They cleaned up afterwards and took all of the large boxes out to the recycling area for me. Thank you guys!! I will definitely recommend James and his Team to everyone I know in the Contra Costa/Alameda County Area. read more

Diablo Valley Handyman - TV over fireplace - Handyman Near Me

We hired the team from Diablo Valley Handyman to help us with a few overdue home improvement projects. Caleb and Devon did an outstanding job replacing our bathroom ventilation fan, garage electrical outlets and installation of a new mailbox & post. They were courteous, professional and always on time. We would definitely hire them again for future home repair or improvement projects. read more

These guys came to my house 2 days after my inquiry when I urgently needed my cabinets installed before the next phase of my kitchen remodel. They did a great job and are quality workers! I'm a Realtor and have already referred them to a client since. Thanks so much guys! read more

Mark and Alvaro came out and fixed a door handle that didn't lock correctly, some old screens and a leaky shower head. They were very attentive, and thoughtful about the problems and how they could go about fixing then. Would 100% recommend these guys to come fix whatever you need. read more

We had them out to do several projects , all of who ch came out great. They built a pergola kit, built beautiful raised redwood garden beds, rodent-proofed a garage, and, most recently, replaced an old gate with new fencing and a new gate. I can be demanding and not always the easiest person and I have to say Arturo, Erick, and their team did an amazing job (and were very patient with me). We will have more projects and we will want them to come back. Many thanks to James for working with us on these projects. read more

I hired Diablo Valley for a landscape lighting job for my backyard. I have to say the experience was amazing from the time I inquired to get an estimate to installation day. Devon and Kaylup were absolutely amazing. My original design was not ideal but Devin came back out and made my vision come true. He checked with me every step of the way to make sure I was happy! I would definitely use them again and actually looking to have them do my master bath remodel! Thanks James, Devon, & Kaylup for being so great to work with! read more

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I am very pleased with the work done by the crew from Diablo Valley Handyman. They replaced the back door on my house and did an outstanding job, and for less than the estimated cost! I will be using Diablo Valley Handyman for future jobs. read more

I requested a quote on Yelp for removal of a large range hood and instillation of a new hood. James replied and we emailed a couple of times and I sent a picture. James gave me a quote but said if it was more complicated it would be more. I agreed and scheduled the job. Carlos arrived on time. He checked the new hood and looked at the hood to be removed. He said it was a two man job and he called for help. I immediately thought that would mean more money. Dwight arrived fairly quickly and the job was taken care of. The two men were polite and very neat. The old hood and packaging from the new hood were hauled off. I was charged the same amount as the quote. That really made my day. I will definitely use this company in the future. read more

James and Erick are wonderful. Got the work scheduled right away. No hidden fees. Very fair pricing. Diablo Valley Handyman is my new go to for all my household repair needs. Thank you James! read more

This past spring we hired Diablo Valley Handyman for a hall bathroom remodel project. Except for a couple of items and some accessories, most everything was done by DV Handyman. We bought a frameless shower door and had the company from whom we bought it, install it. And because I've done a lot of room painting over the years and to save myself some money, I felt comfortable painting the walls and ceiling. Even before work began, we were impressed by the company's personnel; Devon, who came to our home to scope out the project and provide an estimate, and Hope, their cheerful office person. There were 3 guys here during the project, Jake, Joe and Dwight. All were helpful and easy to work with. From start to finish we were very impressed, not only with the work done but with the crew's timeliness, professionalism and courtesy. They installed new floor tile, a new toilet, an exhaust fan, an LED medicine cabinet, and a wall-mounted vanity and vessel sink. Like any remodeling project there were a couple of bumps along the way but the crew quickly resolved the issues. They completed their work in 3 days and the cost of the project seemed very reasonable. We were so pleased with the end result that we hired them again to remodel an ugly, poorly designed mudroom. Jake recently came over to do the demolition work and got all of it done in one afternoon. Thanks Jake. Nice to see you again. At my request the second phase of the project will be done in 2 weeks and I've been given an estimate of 2 days to have it done. I anticipate we will once again be happy with the finished product. I've included a few photos of the completed bathroom project for your review. Thanks James to you and your staff for the great work. read more

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VERY PLEASED WITH MY SERVICE!! It took me so long to look for someone that I felt like I could trust and I am sooo happy this is where I was lead to! Thank you! read more

Our exterior security light went out (and by went out, I mean obnoxiously flashes like an emergency beacon) at our new home. Being a proud new homeowner, I grabbed a ladder and a bulb and said "I'll fix it". It turns out that this was an LED fixture that was hard wired and you didn't replace the bulb you replace the entire light fixture. I contacted several companies and James got back to me within 20 minutes and offered same day service. Even though we were out of his normal service area he came by to check it out. Within an hour he had gotten a replacement fixture, replaced, and tested it. The next time I have to fix something, I'm calling James! read more

James and Devon are very busy. Even though I always felt like I was bothering them, they always pulled through every time. My home required spikes to get rid of pigeons and cap/screens around my house because I was having active beehives terrorizing my home. They came to my home for an inspection, explained in detail what they were going to do, and were very professional the entire time. They were honest and upfront about their prices. No hidden fees. My projects were complicated and required multiple trips for them. What I was pleased with the most was that they followed through every time I brought up a new issue. They were willing to work with me without charging me extra especially since the issues we came across were beyond our control and some bad luck. I was pleased they made customer satisfaction their top priority. Thanks James and Devon and Jose for seeing my projects through. I appreciated your patience and time. read more

I recently had Diablo Valley Handyman do some significant work in my new house I moved into. A bathroom remodel along with new closet doors and some other various repairs that needed to be done. James and his crew did a fantastic job. As part of the bathroom remodel, he had to subcontract some of the work for the bathtub wall panels. I didn't have to worry about a thing as he took care of everything with the subcontractor who was in and out very quickly. James maximized what I paid for it by getting the subcontractor to throw in a few extras. The crown molding they installed in the bathroom looked fantastic. The corners were sharp and everything looked very clean. I highly recommend James and Diablo Valley Handyman. read more

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I had scheduled an appointment for an estimate on Jan 10th. Devon showed up punctual and professional. I was pleased with the initial contact but everything went downhill from there. Devon told me that I would have my estimate by Jan 14th, on the 15th I called and was told that estimates are never completed in the short amount of time that I would have it by Jan 17th. On Jan 16th I received an estimate, however it was not mine at all. I sent Hope a quick email explaining this. She apologized and said they would send me mine. Jan 20th I still didn't have my estimate and my call was not returned. I sent another email telling them I didn't want it but was curious if they had actually completed it at all. No response. If they didn't want they job why did they waste my time? The 2 stars is for Devon who was very professional. read more