I contracted for plumbers, but these people sent over unqualified handymen, charged me for plumbers and padded both their hours and material bills to an extent that is almost criminal. And never actually fixed the issue they were hired for. I have owned and managed real estate for over 40 years and currently own 6 rental properties, so I have some experience with workmen and tradespeople. I also have a very solid background in plumbing work, doing a lot of my own work on my units and properties. I decided to try NYC Brownstone out on my personal residence to see if they might be a good fit to take over some of my responsibilities. Called them and requested they send a plumber over to look at a few leaks. I had already cut out the ceilings and identified where the leaks were. They sent over two men, who arrived with absolutely no tools and no tools in their truck. (What plumber or handyman doesn't bring any tools at all?) They looked over the project and worked for about an hour. They then said they had to go to home depot to get some materials. They left for a few hours and returned. Worked another half hour, and declared they needed to return the next day with different tools. Came back the next day, again with no tools and worked for a few hours and left. I was unavailable so couldn't check the work but they assured me that everything was ok. A few days later I ran the washer they had connected, and it immediately backed up, right where I had cut out the ceiling . Leak obviously not fixed. Called them to complain, but no one returned the call. Called a few more times and no response. Then I got the bill. They charged almost $4,000 for the work with $700 for materials!!! They even charged me $156 for someone to drop off a saw and another $156 to dispose of a small bag of garbage!! (I have all the materials if the had asked, and they could have just dropped the garbage in my can). They left the materials behind which included a lot of basic plumbing supplies- a torch, a box of connectors, and two and three of a variety of materials all still in the packaging. All things a plumber would normally have. It's like they went to home depot, bought one of anything they might conceivably need, all of which were not needed. $700 for materials to basically connect a washing machine and reseat two toilets. And the original leak that was the primary goal, still leaking. To date (3 months later) they have never called me back but did send an email to my request for their plumbing license number- they informed me they don't have a plumbing license and a handyman was all that was needed. It was the most egregious case of over-billing I have ever seen, and total false advertising. I thought I had hired a plumber and got a couple general handymen. They worked for 5-6 hours but charged me 32 man hours. A total rip off with no follow up. Steer clear of these guys. Not licensed for plumbing or electric, and they subcontract out with guys who have no tools or real experience and then pad the bill at every turn. read more

The HVAC service refused to check our compressors or thermostats. They came to service the units and did nothing. They insisted we needed entirely new units. Another reputable HVAC service company had the units working within an hour, no problem. Terrible service. read more

I was hired to help prepare a 100 year old townhouse for sale. It had been vacant for two to three years and needed some sprucing up. Never having owned a home, but being a life long NYC apartment dweller, I was nervous about the process of finding the right people to do everything that needed doing. Thank goodness I found NYC Brownstone first. Jack and Justin and their team are experts, honest, professional and responsive. Jack met with me and went over the entire 7 floors and we talked about what it made sense to do and what it did not. There was a leak over the door to the patio on the 2nd floor that turned out to be a big deal and was coming from the patio on the 3rd floor. The ceiling had to be ripped out and the patio pavers on the third floor had to be ripped out. Jack saved us $12K by suggeesting we not re-pave the patio, just leave the waterproof membrane once it was down since it looked good and the new owners would no doubt want to re-do it to their taste. Their crew was there for over three weeks and I got an email every evening with a report on who had been there and what had been accomplished. The work site was spotless, floors and woodwork were meticulously protected, everything was cleaned up every night. Six months later, when the place was finally staged, we discovered mold on a wall. I called NYC Brownstone and they were there the next day. Well, that turned into a leaking waste pipe buried in a brick wall. Once again, Jack and Justin and the team are as responsive, professional and organized as before. If I ever win the lottery and buy a brownstone, the first thing I will do is sign a maintenance contract with NYC Brownstone. read more

They say that children don't come with manuals. You could say the same for Brooklyn townhouses. Or at least we thought so until we met the folks at NYC Brownstone. They are the manual -- experts at taking care of homes, especially those charming older ones that everyone loves, but cause havoc now and again. My husband and I are leasing out our two unit home -- built in the 1890's -- for a year while we live in Texas with my family. We partnered with NYC Brownstone to take care of the house while we are away. Week one: We get tested big time. The power goes out on one of the most humid days of the year. There is smoke in the cellar. The tenants call at 10:30pm. We call NYC Brownstone. They send their guy Anthony out immediately. He takes care of the most urgent issue for the night so our tenants are safe. But the power remains out. Jane -- our point of contact -- gets in touch first thing the next morning and tells us that "it is imperative to get Con Ed as well as a licensed electrician out there as soon as possible." She is on it. By the end of the day, the whole problem was resolved. She wrangled ConEd to get out there and install a new meter, which had blown out, under the supervision of NYC Brownstone's expert electrician Blaine. Needless to say, we are so impressed. This could have been a HORRIBLE situation. But the folks at NYC Brownstone were so professional, so communicative and so dependable, we knew we had the best team on the job. read more