We recently wrapped up our down-to-studs bathroom remodel with the Handyjew team, and we had an incredibly positive experience. Josh was always available to chat and delve into every minute detail and question that I wanted to discuss (there were a lot). As a result, we were able to put together a very clear, detailed, and fair estimate. In the end, the estimate was right on target, both from a cost and project time point of view. All of Josh's team members are very professional, considerate, approachable, and great at their craft. We've gotten lots of great compliments on the bathroom! I can't say enough good things about working with this team and will definitely look to them for future projects. Also as a side note to how great these people are - during the course of the project, our car got totaled. Josh generously offered one of his in the event we needed it for an emergency. Just a very thoughtful and nice crew. read more

The Handyjew - a bathroom with a double sink - General Contractors Near Me

I would give Josh and his team seven stars if I could! Josh designed and installed a gorgeous 12' long storage bench in our home. Josh quickly came up with a clear vision for how to optimize our space and build for our family's needs. His design was truly thoughtful--he suggested that we have sliding doors instead of lift-tops to eliminate the risk of our our toddler accidentally slamming her fingers. Josh was respectful, communicative, professional, and lovely throughout the process. The quality of his work is outstanding--our piece is beautiful, functional, and sturdy. I'm still in disbelief that Josh and his team finished AHEAD OF SCHEDULE!!!! Josh is also just a fun, brilliant, talented, and kind person. I recommend him without doubt or hesitation and will certainly call upon him again. read more

I needed a contractor for a MAJOR kitchen remodel and Josh's bid was realistic and reasonable. I think Josh's price was fair and he billed transparently. Best of all, the work is excellent, the inspector is happy and the modern kitchen looks wonderful. Communication was excellent throughout the entire project. Josh's crew - Mike, Nick, Roger, Sergio, Mervin, Joe - are all top notch. They re-did electrical and plumbing that needed to be fixed, installed cabinetry, did extensive drywall and painting. The cabinetry turned out to be especially tricky and the carpenters patiently worked through the challenges the job threw at them. Each tradesperson was extremely thorough and it shows. Experience, skills, and communication = Quality read more

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We have a 100 year old house that was a flip. We noticed lifting tiles in our bathroom & were worried about water damage. We decided to swap out our tub shower for a walk-in shower. We contacted Josh, he quickly responded & assessed the situation. His estimate of timing & cost were right on the dot. We did run into some old house issues & the crew kept us informed & gave us options on how to fix them always aware of our budget. We have dealt with contractors before with a kitchen remodel & this bathroom remodel was a dream in comparison They show up on time, are respectful of your space, & easy communication.Our bathroom is beautiful. We couldn't be happier. read more

I needed help replacing a water heater and washer/dryer, repairing a toilet, and fixing a recessed light. These tasks involved multiple deliveries and multiple trades. Josh handled the logistics. I am pleased to report that everyone did what they said they were going to do, when they said they were going to do. Everyone was skilled and able to adapt to the inevitable issues the come up in remodeling/repair projects, and they were all a pleasure to work with. I have done enough projects with fewer moving parts to know how rare it is to get what you want the first time around. I credit Josh for creating an efficient and effective organization and his crew and subs for there integrity. read more

You definitely want to check out Josh and his team for your bathroom remodel project. Josh is easy to get along with and has good insights and suggestions when planning the remodel. Special shout out to Mike and Sergio, who are master craftsmen for flooring, tile work and fixtures. Besides being genuinely nice people, they brought lots of creativity, dare I say artistic flurishes, that helped give us the finished product we wanted. read more

Be very careful when deciding to hire a handyman. The term eludes to someone who can do anything, but usually means, they have some experience in many things, but not a lot. This is NOT the case with The Handy Jew. Recommended from a friend, I had to first call on THJ when my water heater burst. At that point, you really have no choice but to brace yourself for what you know is about to happen. A gouging. This was not the case. Not only did the owner, Josh tell me what to expect (since I'm new at this) but did so quickly since I was having an emergency. He worked with my budget and very quickly with another guy to get the old one out and get the new one in that he picked up for me. All at a VERY reasonable price. To give you an idea of what is "Reasonable" to me: I teach. Enough said? The problem is, after this quick bail-out, I was thinking of having some organization/closet work done and figured I'd give THJ again. Big mistake. Josh sent over a cross between a magician/artist/carpenter named Blane, who worked such an amazing job, that my wife is already planning on having more shelving done. See the picture of our new closet that will clearly make someone who designs for Ikea say, "DAMN, we can't compete with that!!!!" (only they'll say it in Swedish, of course.) Where our new closet simply had clothes hanging in it, our new one has shelves, cubbies, places for shoes, foldables, and darn near anything else. Anyway, The Handy Jew is reliable, credible, honest, & especially not just some random yahoo living at home with his mom. read more

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Update: We've seen Josh and his team multiple times and for two larger scope projects. 1. Removing an old hot tub and fixing our deck. 2. Relocating a fence. Josh helped us be budget conscious but also getting good value materials. His team finished on-time. Of all the people I've worked with to do work on our house, Josh & his team provided the least stressful experience. He's basically our first call whenever we have work that needs to be done. read more

We have been happy clients of Josh for 5 years, and have recommended him to many friends and neighbors. We have a 100+ year old house that tries to fall apart if we don't keep a close eye on it, and he and his team have always treated the house, and us, with care and love. Josh renovated our bathroom five years ago and it still looks great. Not only did he do a top-notch job, he did it start to finish in ONE WEEK. This is unheard of. The job involved all new flooring, removing a 500 lb cast iron tub, reframing for a new tub, some plumbing fixes and all new hardware, installing a new tub and tiling the shower area, installing a new toilet and sink/vanity, as well as removing part of a wall and painting. I still marvel that it all got done so quickly, and that it still looks brand new. Since then Josh and his crew have hung shelving units for us, fixed doors, and done other small jobs around the house. They also built really fabulous cabinets to go around our stove in the kitchen. I had an idea of what I wanted, drew some simple sketches, and they made it a reality. Josh has an eye for design and aesthetics, in addition to thinking through the practicalities of a project. I totally trust his judgment as a craftsman and look forward to working with him next time. He is reasonable and worth every penny. read more

The Handyjew - Cabinets on both side of stove -- one on the left has a sliding cabinet for garbage, right side is open shelving. - General Contractors Near Me

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Would hire Josh again and recommend him to my closest friends. We hired Josh to install a ventilation hood and tile backsplash, as well as add trim, filler and handles to the kitchen. From all of the contractors we spoke with for this and other jobs, he was one of the few to stop and ask questions to ensure he understood, repeat back what he understood and be open to having a conversation. Work turned out impeccable, on time and on budget. read more

The Handyjew - Ventilation hood with tile backsplash. - General Contractors Near Me

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Josh and his associate Mike (who did the work of removing a hideous built in, cleaning up the sheetrock behind it and also built a reception desk to my specifications) were great. Prompt and no nonsense, they got right on it and I hardly had to close up shop! Now my space looks fabulous and the clients definitely notice. read more

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I hired the HandyJew to do our bathroom in 2018 and it's 2019 there are already major cracks appearing in the grout. 2 contractors independently who reviewed the work have also confirmed the quality of the work sobevis sub-par. I do not recommend them for this reason and a host of other bad experiences that came up while they were actually performing the work. The workers were nice but there was no oversight of their actual work. Do not hire these guys for a remodel. The foundation had already been jacked up and addressed fully by another contractor one year prior to this job so any comment that The HandyJew will make to place blame on me is utter BS. read more

Best handyman experience I have ever had. I called Josh this afternoon asking for a last minute favor for a few projects at my house before the weekend thinking there was no way that anyone would be able to help me. I was pleased to have his guys show up right on time and get to work quickly. They did a ton of odds and ends for me in the two hours I had paid for and I felt like I could have employed them full time :) Highly recommend! Added bonus, Josh is hilarious. read more

After reading all the great Yelp reviews, I went to check out the Handyjew website. Everything looked good, so on December 2nd I emailed the email address on the site. I never received any reply. A couple weeks later, figuring that there may have been some kind of mix-up regarding the email, I decided to phone instead. Apparently, Josh simply had not checked his business's email in weeks. I ended up talking with Josh at some length about some minor work we need done around our house, with one of the tasks being something we needed done ASAP (basically just digging a small hole and pouring some concrete to hold a pole in place). After he'd had time to look at his schedule, talk to his crew, and consider the weather, Josh promised me that he would have someone over to do the work for us on Monday the 22nd & said that he would phone on the evening of Sunday the 21st so that we could verify that the weather was still cooperating. He didn't phone. Around 8:30 pm Sunday night, I phoned him and left a message asking if everything was still on for the next day. We didn't hear back, but my husband stayed home all day on Monday, since we had been promised that someone would be there. No one ever showed up. No one phoned. On Tuesday afternoon (more than 40 hours after I'd left my message on Sunday evening & more than 24 hours after we had expected someone at our house to do the work we'd requested), we finally received a phone call from Josh, apologizing and requesting that he be permitted to follow up on his commitment in a few days (after Christmas). I appreciate that things get complicated around the holidays, but after all of the communication problems we had with Josh from the very start, we decided to look for someone else instead. read more

Do not use this contractor if you want the work done right. We had the HandyJew bid on a rebuild of a front porch. He was the middle bidder and we chose him because the low bidder, who had been recommended by a friend, did not have availability. Also there were good reviews on Yelp for the HandyJew. Several months later we had the home inspected during a sale. We discovered that the work was totally subpar. The inspector commented to me about this immediately during the inspection. He noted that the nailing on the porch decking was done incorrectly. To quote the inspector's report the decking "has been improperly secured". You don't want something like that showing up on an inspection report when you are trying to sell a house. We definitely will not be using the HandyJew again. read more

Since 1977 I have hired numerous contractors. For building a house in 2006. To remodeling homes and a restaurant. Listening, accessing, collaborating, explaining and coming to consensus is not a typical approach in Construuction. The Handyjew contractor and crew not only demonstrates all of the above listed abilities but goes beyond. Their stellar qualities, characteristics, and capabilities were(are) consistently demonstrated in each construction project they accomplished for me. Since 2015 The Handyjew has completed numerous projects at my home. A loft bedroom. A second bedroom for the ADU. A separate entry and deck for my son's bedroom. A major deck repair. Plumbing and electrical jobs. And when faced with an unusual task there is no hesitation. After accessing and discussing the potential project the crew develops creative successful solutions. This year and in 2020 The Handyjew has two more projects for me. Finishing a sunroom and updating the ADU. D Lisi read more

We own a building in Berkeley and Josh and his team have worked for us several times. They are, in two words, THE BEST. Josh has great taste and took me shopping for fixtures and tile. His guys are true craftsmen. Their work in tiling, deck repair, and fencing was perfection. I feel so lucky to have found him. And his prices are reasonable. Fantastic work, good prices, good taste, honest, really nice people to have in your home. What more could I ask for? He re-tiled a bath for us in 2017; photo below shows what it looked like one month ago - still perfect read more

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My dog DESTROYED our front and back doors, and Josh and his crew did an amazing, beautiful job on the repairs. He stuck close to his estimate. Workers were on time, polite, and friendly to my pets. I would recommend Josh to anyone interested in repairs or improvements. I would have given Josh 5 stars on the quality of the work alone, but he went above and beyond to sooth my anxious landlord who was convinced that the extent of the damage was too great to be repaired. She's even thinking of hiring him to work on her own house! I think his customer service skills are not perfectly polished, but the quality of his work speaks louder than words. read more

I have never experienced such great customer service. I left a brief message on Monday, Leala was in contact with a base estimate by Tuesday. They got Mike and Jaime in by next Monday, they knew exactly what was needed for the job and made sure all our needs were met. Josh showed up mid-morning up to check in and bring them lunch, what a great boss! They did everything as quickly as possible while maintaining quality and keeping the price reasonable. I don't think I could ask for more. 10/10 would contract again! read more

Josh and his crew are great. I had them over to my house to fix the backing on a built-in and re-caulk my tub. Scheduling was fast and efficient and they showed up on-time, finishing the work faster than they estimated. Four months later when there started to be a little cracking around my tub, I called Josh and he was over my house IN 20 MINUTES to fix the problem. The quality of the original work was great, but tubs have some flex in them and this can cause issues for the caulk. Josh was super understanding and fixed the issue immediately. I couldn't ask for more. read more

Josh and his crew just installed a 300 pound vanity in my bathroom and it was great. He has a good team -- they're professional and really care about the quality of their work. He came by, gave me a fair estimate (he was in the middle of the three estimates I received but gave me the most confidence) and then came back to do the work one week later. I'm a happy customer. Josh is talkative -- and every decision was explained carefully. I was very happy with the final results. And they're a good natured fun group if they happen to be at your house all day. Highly recommended -- please feel free to ask me any questions you have and I'd be glad to help. read more

Called Josh regarding a horribly broken kitchen cabinet door that had sheared at the frame. The cabinet maker no longer makes this model. Although he couldn't help me directly after patiently asking lots of questions, he referred me to someone who may be able to. Many people would have simply said, "Sorry, can't help you." Five stars for being helpful despite no economic benefit to him. I'd use him for a project when needed. read more

Josh is amazing! I had a very random list of things I needed help with that kept changing until the moment he walked into the front door (installing a medicine cabinet, hanging curtain rods, securing large pieces of furniture and televisions in case of an earthquake, and so on, and so on)... He did everything I asked and more! I didn't have all the right (or best) things I needed (screws, etc) to do the things on my list so he even took me to my local hardware store (had never been there since I recently relocated) to get the right materials. He has a great eye for room design and even helped me move furniture around so that everything now fits perfectly. I really appreciated that he kept checking in with me to make sure that I was happy with everything he was doing too! He only charged me for 2 hours although it took much longer considering the trip to the hardware store. He has a really great personality which isn't a requirement but it is certainly nice when someone is in your personal space and I would highly recommend him to anyone! read more

Josh and his team took great care of a number of items at my Mom's house in Orinda. These guys fixed a gate, two windows, a couple of sliding glass doors, and some cabinet doors and were professional, courteous, and friendly. I cannot say enough good things about the Handy Jew. I trust these guys implicitly and look forward to using them again and referring them to my friends. read more

I had Josh & Co do a kitchen remodel about 5 years ago. I still love it. It is the only project I have had no regrets about.

The best handyman outfit I ever had!!! Installed a tiled floor, replaced a counter (OMG, it's so gorgeous!), washed our panoramic windows (we can SEE again!) and filled some problem areas on the roof. Not only do they do great work at reasonable prices, on time, but they are all incredibly polite. AND.... Josh is also a resourcer -- that is, he'll tell you how to do a job quickly, easily and more cheaply yourself, rather than take on a job. (My list included fixing the doorbell. He told me to just go and buy a wireless one - cheap, and incredibly easy to install. Who knew?) -- he also told me about Reliable Parts, which supplies parts on old appliances no longer supported by their makers. A godsend: previous repair people simple told me they couldn't fix it.... I'm keeping his card for sure, and heartily recommend him to everyone! Thank you, Josh & Co! read more

Josh and his team did an amazing job helping us with some of our kitchen projects. They did a seamless job of installing our freestanding hood, putting in a tile backsplash, adding trim, filler pieces & handles to our cabinets etc. He is very knowledgeable and his work is precise. He did a wonderful job of communicating with us, sticking to his original reasonable quote and finishing the work early. He went above and beyond and we couldn't be happier to have worked with him! read more

Josh and his crew just finished a kitchen remodel at my home and I couldn't be happier! Josh will not stop working until the project is absolutely complete and perfect. The crew is great to work with - I half missed them when they were gone. Great communication with Josh, Leala in the office, and the crew through the whole project. We have already recommended them to friends and will use them again in the future! read more

Our building was built in 1897; continuous projects are needed to keep the house healthy and functional. I can't imagine an individual better suited for the job than Josh. The work he does, whether carpentry, electrical, or otherwise, is absolutely solid. He explains the work he does, and follows through while keeping in constant communication. Students can be rowdy, but Josh rolls with the punches of a college boarding house as easily as we do ourselves. His attitude is amazing, and we really couldn't ask for more. By this reviewer, Josh is very highly recommended. read more

Josh is my go to man for all things handy. He built custom cabinets for our house. He replaced our hot water heater. He built out the attic with a ladder for storage and fixed a myriad of electrical issues a while ago. He also installed a pool fence. He's on time and on the money. read more

We hired The Handy Jew to build closets and install new interior doors. Josh was great from the start. We were especially impressed with his communication throughout the entire process - estimate to completed work. He provided suggestions and asked questions to help us determine exactly what we wanted and then delivered on time and on budget. Josh and his entire crew were always on time, very professional, respectful of our home and we strongly recommend him to anyone in need of improvements. We loved that he texted photo and video updates as we were out of town during much of the work! Great work, on time, communication = Happy Customer read more

I just had Mike here from The HandyJew to fix a damaged piece of electrical wire in my bathroom. I tried to install a shelf and made a real mess of things. Mike was early, professional, friendly and had the job done in less time than expected. Since there is a minimum three hour charge be helped me put up the shelf I was trying to install in the first place with the extra time. He even cleaned up after the mess that was made (which is professional, but not everybody does it). I would recommend The HandyJew and I would use them again! Thanks, Mike and Josh Jen read more

Josh Rubenstein and his staff were very professional, They did GREAT work and they were prompt and efficient! I can't recommend them enough. Also, If You want workers who are honest, and get there when they say they are getting there, they are the company for you. Sincerely, Chris and Louise Clickner read more

Darn. I really wanted to like this outfit. Love the name. Love the glowing reviews. Had a great initial conversation with Josh on the phone who was enthusiastic about my project and said he was bumping it to the front of the line. (Though I wondered what that meant for other folks on his list.) After that Friday call, there was some back-and-forth by email on Saturday to clarify things, ending with the promise of a bid by Monday and "yes we can do it, yes we'd be glad to do it. Let me come meet you early this coming week". Monday heard nothing. Tuesday heard nothing. I texted Wednesday to ask if he was still interested in the job ... no response. Thursday he replied they were now booked out for several weeks, but he guessed he could do a walk through the next day. I wasn't too thrilled with any of this, especially since my project is time sensitive, and this whole interaction had already cost me a week. I said no thank you. To his credit, he replied with an apology and explanation. He said he gets over 100 calls from Yelp per week and despite his customer management software and an office assistant, it still gets overwhelming. Understandable, and from the customer side, good to have a heads up. I have found this phenomenon to be more prevalent with outfits that have numerous 5-star Yelp reviews - one of the hazards of this system. I have better luck with outfits that have only a few reviews, but all are 5-star. But if you do get these guys to actually do your job, I have no reason to doubt you'd be in good hands. Just best to put several pokers in the fire if you have a deadline and see who ends up being available. read more

I've used Josh and his crew on a commercial remodel and I can't speak highly enough of him. As an architect, I appreciated how Josh was able to communicate and really understand the goals of the project. When a difficult component presented unexpected challenges, he communicated early and frequently to get it solved within the Owner's budget and schedule. His standards for craft are very high. read more

Josh and his team built us a closet, pantry, and redid our bathrooms. Super punctual and professional, great communication, and most importantly, high quality beautiful work on all of the projects. read more

I picked him b.c. his name, "The Handy Jew," was much more interesting than the other handy men. He was on time, actually a few minutes early, and did a great job changing my 3 light fixtures. Josh is smart and funny and nice to be around. They normally work in pairs. read more

Josh and his crew did a great job on a kitchen (new cabinets, appliances, countertops, hardware, floors) and 2 bathrooms (new floors and vanities). His prices were reasonable, his team was super helpful with moving heavy items and offering to do some extras (changing out switchplates, replacing the insides of the toilets, etc.). They also completed this whole job in literally about 2 weeks. Great experience! read more

Josh "The Handy Jew" and his whole crew are stellar. Top Notch. Mazel... to anyone who gets to hire him. I am not new to remodeling. I have hired numerous contractors, trades people, etc. with mixed results. They are usually late, forget about you once you sign the contract, require a lot of oversight, and are way over budget. Not Josh's crew. Josh and his crew did a variety of projects for me and he came in under budget, on time, and the results were perfect. I am a very demanding client -- and I expect people I hire to be honorable, dependable, keep to their time lines and word, honor my budget, and do quality work. Josh's whole crew respects Josh, each other, and the customers they serve. The whole crew was clean, on time, and were highly talented. Everyone seems to like working with Josh. I am no exception. I already had him come back once and will have him come out again this winter. In addition to Josh's high level of professionalism, he has a great sense of humor (his business name is an obvious sign) and you may think I am a relative writing this, but I am not. I am a highly satisfied customer. Josh demonstrates the utmost integrity. I can recommend him without reservation. Please don't use him too much so he is available to me whenever I need him. I don't want to share too much. Just kidding. Doc J read more

Reinforced our front gate after vandalism. On time, kind, listened to our concerns, and followed through with details we hadn't thought of! Recommend them highly. read more