A lot of the CW tradeshops are located on sidestreets or in slightly out of the way places where if…read moreyou don't look close enough you can miss that they are even there. The Wheelwright shop is one of those places. The shop is located on Prince George Street about a half block off of the Palace Green. It's not too far off the beaten path but there is nothing else immediately around it either. The official name of the building is the Elkanah Deane Shop. The shop the same as the Elkanah Deane House next to it are not original buildings. Deane was an Irish coachmaker from New York who bought the land to build the shop from Dr. William Carter in 1772. Dr. Carter was a surgeon and along with his brother James ran an apothecary in the city. Their father John was the keeper of the Public Goal from 1731-1740. research.history.org/DigitalLibrary/view/index.cfm?doc=ResearchReports%5CRR0370.xml&highlight= The current guys at the shop are using woods like Elm, Ash and Oak for things such as wheels, carriages, carts, wagons and wheelbarrows. I asked them where they source their wood from and they said that they try as much as possible to get things from CW property. Events like Hurricane Michael provide the unintended benefit of trees falling on CW property which they are able to harvest and keep around until needed. What they can't get via CW they have a supplier from NJ that supplies whatever else they need. During my most recent visit they were working on a wheelbarrow which they said would be needed at some point next year so there was not a huge rush on the job and they were also working on a set of wheels for one of the carriages. The carriage wheels should be finished at some point early in 2019 when it could be easily pulled from service for a little while. No huge rush on them either but they know that date is coming and one was done with the second about half way there. With how CW uses their carriages a set of wheels lasts fifteen to twenty years versus the 18th century where wheels would have lasted considerably longer due to less use and not being on paved roads. If you go, the shop is open from 9-5 Sunday-Thursday (closed Friday & Saturday) and it should be a must visit stop as the guys there are awesome with explaining anything about what they do and you will learn a lot if you engage them. (The grey cat that for a long time hung out around the shop was since been adopted by a CW employee. Apparently CW now frowns upon the shops having mascots or shop animals.)

Like most of the trades they are of the side road. If you only have one day in Colonial…read moreWilliamsburg it can be a challenge to see everything. There are no demonstrations done at any of the shops, they are all doing real work with real orders from around the country in some cases. Located on Prince George Street across the street from the Wythe home sets the shop of the Wheelwright. It does not look like much, but they move a lot of product out and ship around the country. There are three sections to the shop. Two are inteior and the other is for outside work. As in all the CW trades you have supervisors, journeyman and possibly apprentices. The Men in this shop have over 10, some over 20 years experience which is common among the CW trades. On the day I was there the gentlemen was working on an axle for a wagon that would be shipped to Michigan. Everything is made in shop except for the iron work which is sent to another shop in CW. In the day a Blacksmith would have done both and kept everything in house. An interesting fact is that the wagons made in the shop are completely traditional to the 18th Century, no detail is spared and the same tools are used as well. However, the carriages and wagons that you will see around town are production models...why you might ask. It has to do with the stress on the animal and getting more use out of them. New methods make it much easier for the horses to pull than the old methods. Prolonging the life of the animals is more important to CW than using an 18th century method. Like most of the trades in CW they are closed on Sunday and this shop is also closed Monday too! So plan accordingly if this is a shop on your must see list. The skill that these Men have to do what they do is noteworthy. There are so few shops left in the world that do what the folks here at CW do every week. I think you will find it very educational and they welcome questions as they work. They are closed on Monday.

They took care of my project quickly and identified an issue with the roof. Great guys to work with…read moreand I definitely recommend them.

They installed a downspout extension on our property. Quality work and a great value. Recommend…read morehighly

Gunnar was very fast with communication and giving me quotes on everything I needed. He did an…read moreamazing job on remodeling our kitchen, painting the cabinets and the cost was very affordable. He's very nice and paid attention to little details, as long as giving me ideas when I needed. He will be my go to person whenever we need anything fixed now.

From the owner: Experienced handyman available for all jobs - large or small. Specializing in bathroom and kitchen…read moreremodeling. Fully insured. Call 757 364-0190 or email aprohandymanva@gmail.com

Once again, Jay has provided me with stellar service. My parents and I are truly fortunate to have…read morediscovered his service. Excellent workmanship at a completely fair price. His professionalism and personality are beyond mere words.

If you ever hire Jay's Handyman Service, BEWARE. First,…read moreread your proposal carefully and read the contract even more carefully. We discovered that an essential term that was in the proposal changed when it was re-written into the contract. The specific term in the proposal was that a completion payment for Phase 1 (of a 3 phase contract), would be due upon final completion of all 3 contracts. When Justin completed Phase 1 he demanded a sizeable payment. I calmly pointed out the discrepancy between the proposal and the contract, at which time Justin immediately flew into a rage, grabbed a hammer, and threatened to "rip out all the drywall" in the garage, then threw the hammer across the bed of his truck, threw his clip board across the bed of the truck, and shouted at us "Y'all don't ever call me again." It was a simple question we tried to address in a calm and reasonable manner and tone. Lesson learned: when dealing with Justin and Amanda - READ EVERYTHING TWICE and COMPARE ALL DOCUMENTS for unsuspected changes. Next lesson learned: WATCH Justin carefully to prevent him from doing work he was instructed not to do. There were three pieces of exterior trim around the garage door which Justin replaced according to plan. However, he was instructed at least three times not to paint the trim. Despite those instructions, after Justin's outrage incident, he returned that evening and painted the trim. Next lesson learned: DEMAND a detailed estimate which shows the cost of materials and the hours for labor. Let me give you some examples of overcharges from our contract we had with Jay's Handyman Service. 1. Insulation: Justin charged $72.60/hour for 10 hours = $720.60. We watched Justin installing the insulation and commented on how fast he worked. He replied something to the effect that "I'm quick so I can get on to another job." Our estimated time was 3 hours to install insulation in a two-stall garage. That would amount to $217.80 at Justin's rate of $72.60/hour. That equals an overcharge markup of $502.80 (231% markup). 2. Drywall installation: this was for a two stall garage to replace drywall after a fire. The garage had already been stripped to the studs, so it was ready for installation. Justin claimed 68 hours to hang drywall, tape, and finish. This did include taping, mud, and sanding (but no paint). His charge for 68 hours at $78.65/hour = $5,348.20. Having done one drywall project (at a beginner's pace), our estimated time for this installation is (generously), 25 hours at $78.65/hour = $1,966.25. The result is an overcharge markup of $3,381.95 (172% markup). 3. Here's the one that really caught our attention. Justin charged $24.20 each for two electrical outlets for a total of $48.40. The actual Home Depot price for each outlet is 87¢ each for a grand total of $1.74. This is an overcharge markup of $46.66 ... wait for it... a 2,782% markup! 4. Garage Door Trim: 3 pieces (two sides and top). Justin charged $32.67 each for a total of $98.01. The actual Home Depot price is $39.96 for a 3-pack (2 inch trim). This results in an overcharge markup of $58.05 (145% markup). 5. Installation of 3 pieces of Garage Door Trim: Justin claimed it took 5 hours to install the new trim. Just guessing, he thought about it for 4 1/2 hours and did the work in 30 minutes. Seriously, he charged $78.65/hour x 5 hours = $393.25. Our actual estimated time to install 3 pieces of trim is (generously), 1 hour @ $78.65/hour = $78.65. This results in an overcharge markup of $314.60 (400% markup). 6. Painting the trim (remember, we told him not to paint the trim) - Justin claimed it took 2 hours to paint 3 pieces of garage door trim (2 inch trim on 3 sides of the garage door). Two hours of paint time at $78.65/hour = $157.30. We figure it probably took 30 minutes (judging by my wife's work in re-painting the trim). For 30 minutes at $78.65 = $39.33. This is an overcharge markup of $117.97 (300% markup). 7. Here's another one that caught our attention. Justin replaced 2 light fixtures at a cost of $52.51/each = $105.03. The actual Home Depot cost is $2.68 each x 2 = $5.36. This is an overcharge markup of $99.67 (1,860% markup). 8. Finally... Justin charged 4 hours to install 2 electrical outlets and 2 light fixtures. Justin's total charge at $140.36/hour = $561.44. Our estimated time of 1 hour = $140.36. This is an overcharge markup of $421.08 (300% markup). When we realized that several fixtures were not functioning, we called in an electrician. The electrician determined that Justin had mis-wired one of the outlets. In conclusion.... If I had it to do over again, I would never hire Jay's Handyman Service. There is actually more to this story, but by this point, you can draw your own conclusions. Justin's claim of being "Affordable, Reliable, Honest, and Experienced" begs the question.... In what world and in whose imagination? You be the judge.

If I could give 0 stars, it would be too many! Jeff Baker the owner is a scammer and thief!…read more Paid him almost $2000 to fix a leak in my roof last year complete with a "lifetime warranty". HA! He came back 2-3 times in the last year to "fix" it again then stopped returning my calls and texts that it was still leaking! Do not waste your money!!!! Just had to pay another company another $1500 to fix what he jacked up!

From the owner: Empire Roofing & Siding. LLC…read more We are a local family-owned business in the Hampton Roads Area. At Empire, we care about our local communities & commercial businesses. Empire stands behind our integrity. With over 30 years of experience and knowledge in Roofing,-Siding- Gutters & Windows Empire specializes in roofing: Metal-concrete and clay tiles-slate-shingles (asphalt leak repairs-roof replacement- gutters and leaf-free systems- siding options and window replacements. We do free estimates and are available for emergency situations due to weather conditions etc. Empire will provide your family or business with the best materials & budget. We personally will help you find the budget to meet all your needs. Empire will be there for you. stand with you

I cannot say enough good things about this business, it's owner and his employees. They came to my…read morehome handled everything on my list with precision and professionalism and charged the prices they agreed to which were in my estimation fair. They cleaned up after themselves attending to every detail and were so kind to my animals. Even if you have to wait a while for an appointment with this crew I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

The crew working under Josh are all good folks. They came in, did a handful of jobs for me, cleaned…read moreup, and left in just a few hours. What they couldn't do in the day of the appointment (due to weather), they came back in a couple days and knocked out. They are so polite and kind that it's ridiculous. I will be calling them first for any issues I have from this point forward.