We provide a vast range of HANDYMAN SERVICES and INDEPTH CONSTRUCTION and RENOVATION Projects for BOTH residential and commercial clients located throughout the Greater Metropolitan Ottawa and Gatineau area. We offer experienced practitioners who are insured, bondable, courteous, prompt and professional. We accept Master Card, Visa, read more...
Around The Home Handyman Services began operations in 2003 and has received 10 reviews for an overall customer rating of 2.3. The average rating for businesses providing similar services in the Ottawa area is 4.5. Write a review
2.4
2.4
2.7
2.1
2.3
2.2
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1
I received an invoice with a total for $1,612.72 for a job that was incomplete.
The contractor was initially reluctant to give a rough figure but said it should be well within $1,300. After the second (of three) days of work, he still claimed it would be well within $1,300. If I had let the contractor "complete" the job properly, the invoice would have been easily over $2,000 for a job were 2 pieces of drywall and a some pieces of moulding were installed on basement wall with some irregularities. I had to spend 6 hours fixing the contractors work.
Additionally, the contractors bullying tactics over the phone were not appreciated - yelling, getting mad and swearing - quite unprofessional.
Finally, the contractor attempted to bully further by conveying a payment policy after the fact, with a ridiculous interest rate for late payments. It would have been a signal for me to not to select him for the job.
For anyone looking to hire a contractor - you are warned.
1
The job:
So I needed a plumber on short notice to install 2 toilets on the 2nd floor bedroom (1 in the ensuite and 1 in the other bathroom).
The search: I google "plumber" "BBB" and have a list of plumbers to install a couple of toilets. This name came with A+ rating, I called looking for availability and pricing.
The installation was 1 DXV Lyndon 2 pc dual-flush elongated and 1 American Standard Boulevard dual flush elongated
He confirmed it should be about 2 hrs (which is the standard) as the house is fairly new.
The contact:
I called on Feb 21st, Plumber mentioned over the phone, the price is $167 for the 1st 1h1/2 and then $67 per h after that. I got quoted 85/h 99/h /120h from others (so the quote was in the norm).
The context:
Having called previously other companies the week before, the normal fees were (from 80 to 120) + Labour (around 2hrs) + Parts. We had a one piece installed in the powder room a few years ago (installation was 40min. Total is expected to average 150-300 for BOTH.
The beginning: Feb 22 12:25 Plumber called about to get the parts for the plumbing job (keep this part in mind). Told him I would meet him at my house. And we agreed I would help him to dispose of the old toilets.
I already took 1 of the new toilet upstairs, so he can start to work on that.
13:00 The Installation:
Got home and the contractor doesn't look at the manual
Plumber emptied the 1st tank and remove the toilet.
I help to take it out.
Put down wax ring
Put down toilet w my help
Use wrong bolts to secure the bowl
Put on tank
NOW need bolt to attach the water tank
End up removing the toilet with my help (waste of time)
Try to remove the old connector (fail) - he also DID NOT GET A WATER CONNECTOR, but he was supposed to get the material BEFORE.
I go get some tools (couldn't find the right ratchet and socket)
I go downstairs to look for the ratchet and 1/2in socket while he removes the OTHER TOILET.
I come back upstairs
Plumber empty the tank of the 2nd toilet – the ensuite
Water is in shopvac (and on the floor)
He has to throw out the water (I said put it in the bathtub)
**Somehow he went to the other TOILET (So I told him there is a tub where he was but it was too late, I had water all over my hard wood)**
**Emergency wipes with a box of Lysol **
I help Plumber Take out 2nd toilet (plumber had back pain, had to ask my dad to take it to the curb)
Plumber goes back to the install the 1st toilet (guess toilet)
Gave him a ratchet (wrong size), so he continues with the tool which came with the toilet.
I go in the basement again to look for right ratchet
Heard loud noise from upstairs: BOOM
Ran upstairs to find out he has drop the BRAND new toilet on the ceramic tiles
Toilet is down and a bit damaged (2 dents)
At this point, I wasn't sure if I wanted to let him finish. But since he did remove the other toilet and we are having guesses, we needed at least one functioning toilet upstairs. I told him he could leave and I'll call him back. He said I'm good, I figured it now, so we should be good do it again faster. **
Still cannot take out old connectors.
Plumber Goes to hardware store to get connectors he was supposed to get earlier.
I Found ratchet and 1/2 socket
Plumber Managed to take out the old water connector
Plumber Put back toilet down with my help
Plumber Try to put the toilet sit (fail)
Plumber Took off toilet sit
He did not figured it out
Put back toilet sit
But the black hinges are showing (I give him white cap cover)
Took of the toilet sit again
** Asked him to just leave it, but he insisted that he want to make sure to finish the job **
Put it back on, put on white caps
Found out 2 gel looking plastic that goes under the white caps
Took off toilet sit AGAIN
Put the plastic + white caps
Forgot to put side cap
Finally, put the side cap
17:18 Invoicing
I asked the plumber to follow me, I have to go to the bank. Plumber responded, I'll email you the invoice, it's going to be 555$.
1.5
Do not hire this man unless you have deep pockets. He took five hours to check out what I needed to have done. Shingles stained over my garage door, three overgrown flowers dug out of my garden, my porch painted and three window well covers. Norm spends too much time talking, all at our expense. The staining was done, plants removed and window covers made along with eleven hours his buddy put in added up to thirty hours. Then he presents me with “paygo” and a hefty bill for what was done. I would not recommend him to anyone.
1.4
SOOOO UNIMPRESSED!!!! Let me start by saying it was such an awful experience working with them. Norm was rude and talking smack about us when he didn't think we were listening....which I was...the entire time. Rude and disrespectful at times vulgar...I was stunned!!!
The work was POORLY done and had to be re"tried". The straight rows of bricks from my front door are anything BUT straight so they came back and tried again to a bit more success but the grief and verbal attack was sooo unprofessional and disconcerting. We had to pay them almost double the quote to get it done enough to use. The work was shoddy and not done correctly.
Here we are barely 2 1/2 yrs later and it has all pulled apart and the bricks are sinking. There was no retaining wall put in to support the rows of bricks and obviously not enough material pounded into the base so it will ALL have to be redone again.
I CAN NOT believe that they still claim BBB status. I have had other work done by other contractors and CAN NOT believe the difference in pride in workmanship, meticulousness, interaction, honesty and final product.
5
Norm was fantastic and coordinated kitchen water damage repairs plus arranged to find a sewer pipe repair specialist and orchestrated the construction of a new retaining wall and walkway plus a multitude of other issues with a recently purchased home. He saved me a lot of stay at home time by coordinating everything. He s a really reasonable guy with quality and dependability. He has some awesome staff as well and I'm extremely happy and relieved that I found him!!!
The job he had to do for me was huge but it was resolved in a month and a half.
Thanks Norm!!
5
Thanks to Norman Richter's expertise and strategic planning, not only do we have a beautiful new building for, but we were able to open it several weeks ahead of schedule. Throughout the process, they were sensitive to our needs as well as, visitors, and neighbors - and demonstrated flexibility to ensure the safety and comfort of everyone involved. Around The Home Handyman has truly become part of family and we're thrilled that they'll be working with us throughout subsequent phases of our renovations.
It is an absolutely gorgeous structure, internally and externally, and is certainly true to its historic surroundings and I wanted you to know that we are happy not only with its appearance, but also with the way in which it functions as a state-of-the-art space for teaching and learning...We are most pleased with the relationship we have established with you and all who have been on-site to shepherd the building from initial drawings to the final punch list...Again, thank you for all that you did to make this dream a reality
James Fairs
CEO - KR Magic Solutions
1
Norman Richter is a scam artist. He claims to be an expert in practically every area of home repair, yet considering the shoddy work he produces, he clearly is not.
Richter was hired to complete a number of repairs that were required to renew my insurance. We were to have a banister installed on a stairway. Richter purchased a "beautiful" antique banister for our old house and then proceeded to cut it in half to make it fit. It is installed awkwardly and we regularly bump into it on the way down the stairs.We were also required to get a deck repaired due to rotting wood.. He tore up all of the deck and replaced it with wood that has irregular widths. Clearly this was done because he did not calculate the widths correctly. When it came to the billing, he produced a long list of things like nails and screws. Every minutia is detailed. My personal feeling is this is done to confuse. He and his colleagues were rarely on time and when challenged on this, he said "we start on time, but there is always a nail or a screw that has to be picked up". The experience with Richter has been a good learning experience for me, a single mom trying to have a decent home for my kids. I would warn anyone against hiring him. Also, he does not have an A rating with BBB. He once did, but numerous complaints over the years have dropped it to a B. I have no doubt that soon it will be lower.
Sent: Friday, September 10, 2010 9:26 AM
Subject: RE: Handy Canadian Members Feedback & Rating from: Denise
Denise called us after viewing our advertisement in HOME FOCUS, not Handy Canadian. This work was performed in 2008, nearly three (3) years ago by myself and two(2) handymen. All this work was performed because her insurance company absolutely refused to insure it unless all these rotting walls, and neglected areas were rebuilt. In the past two (2) years I have never had a single phone call or any other communication from Denise since my people did this work. What I find strange is it took two and half years to react? Instead of calling us on the phone or sending us an email or calling BBB as other normal clients might do, when they need us for warranty or other repair work or have a beef to mediate, she decided to make unfounded comments that I cannot understand nor mediate. As a result, I went back to this home with an engineer to confirm their validity. The result is it that there is no basis for Denise s comments other then the fact that she didn t want to pay the Piper for her years of neglect. We did a lot of extra work at this home that we did not bill her for over six weeks. For example, you will notice she did not mention that the entire rear portion of her home had completely rotted out right to the main support beams.. It was literally hanging by a thread and falling to pieces. That was never planned for. As a result we removed all the rotting walls, framing and rebuilt everything from the ground up to 14" feet in height, where nothing but rot existed before. Then and only then could we find structural integrity to add siding to it. As a result we improved the value of this home by $75,000.00 to $100,000.00. Instead of being happy she questions the price for parts? we used thousands of galvanized construction screws on her property, NOT cheap nails. When we presented a detailed bill based precisely on what we had done, she only mildly objected to the amount. The bottom line here is people choose NOT TO RECALL THE FACTS. Her comments about the stairwell, do not mention that this home was unsafe from the front steps (we replaced the whole front entrance, right up to the top of the 2nd floor, as well as in terrible disrepair. Before building anything I consulted a CERTIFIED Stair Building Company about cutting the stair rails that I considered buying from them and then modifying and augmenting it for her extremely narrow stairways. (100 year+ old house) The railing meets the standards for the insurance company because it was the ONLY possible solution for this home. NO one else had ever attempted to install proper railing in this 10-0 year old home because the space to do so was so limited. The railing we used complied with her insurance company demands. They were extremely happy with all our work and granted her insurance coverage, as a result. PLEASE NOTE: I was quite willing to mediate with Denise as our work is always guaranteed. Over the years we've done work for thousands of people in Ottawa. If they have a problem, with any work they can simply pickup the phone and call that s all it takes. Denise never did this. If a customer doesn t call, how can we know they aren t satisfied? Denise had two years plus to make her feelings known, either privately or through BBB. As renovators, without a public voice, I accept responsibility and carry the burden for all the work ATHHS does, but if people choose to resort to malicious comments, instead of dealing with the facts, our response will always be to defend our reputation. We've always used "Best Practises to improve our performance everyday.We will continue our mission with courage, good faith, and hope that common sense and justice prevail in the end.
1
NO SKILLS
A job that was suppose to take 3 days ended up taking 6 days, not because of complications of the job, but because Norm lacks any skills, abilities or knowledge in home renovations. Sadly, even with the extra time the final product was just terrible; not only was his work dirty and ugly to look at, the quality of his work was very poor.
Some major workmanship issues included:
1. He used a poor grout mixture and it started cracking after 1 day.
2. He cut tiles incorrectly and even the tiles he didn’t cut were misaligned beyond anything acceptable; this is all because he lacks any skills and abilities in tiling.
3. We told him to stop the plumbing work he was hired to do because he damaged all the plumbing items we purchased (sinks, faucets, etc), and he damaged the pipes in the house too. We had to hire a professional plumber to fix the damages.
Be warned, he will take on any renovation job you offer him even though he has zero knowledge to do the job. And if it's a job he needs new tools for, he will try and charge you for them; he actually tried to charge us for the diamond tipped blades he bought!
VERY UNPROFESSIONAL
It was never agreed or even mentioned that there would be 2 people working the job, however on the first day he shows up with another guy who turned out to be just as bad as Norm in terms of skills and abilities. They would argue all day by shouting at each other, swearing and being very rude and explicit both in the house in front of us and outside the house.
The unprofessional attitude would get worse if we asked any questions; a simple comment like "why are the tiles crooked" would result in his dumb answer of "that’s the style nowadays" or a question about how much longer the job would take he would get angry and reply "don't bother me when I'm working" and "who's the boss here".
CROOKED CONTRACTOR
When it came time to pay, he presented us with an invoice with an absurd amount. Rather than providing a detailed and itemized list of hours, materials, etc, he simply rambled on about his work. A simple task such as "removing a light fixture" would be detailed in 5 or 6 steps (remove screw, pull fixture from wall, unplug black and white wires, etc). When asked to show us receipts for the materials he purchased, he refused and to this day we have yet to see any receipts that validate the costs he was charging us (see the note above about paying for tools). Further to this, he claimed him and his worker had worked 12+ hour days, when in reality they barely put in full 8 hour days. Many of which Norm would disappear for lunch leaving his worker alone. Because of all these issues, we asked him to come over to discuss the invoice. We had prepared a list of deficiencies and pointed out the discrepancies. After about 20 minutes of unproductive talking, he got frustrated, simply got up, told us to F-off and left. Eventually the issue was settled by mediation, and in the end he didn't get what he was asking for.
Be careful about what he tells you and what is listed on his website. His BBB rating on his website is not correct, so please do your research before hiring Norm to do any work.
There are many more issues that came up, but based on what I have written I hope that my headache and time wasted having to deal with Norm and his sorry company should be enough of a warning to others. Avoid him at all costs, because not only does he lack any viable ability to renovate, he has no place running a business or dealing with people. He is not a person to be trusted under any circumstance.
On June 24 Mrs. Nouri Daou asked me to consider doing her entire bathroom renovation. Because I had done work for her before I accepted to do the renovation for $45.00 per hour per technician. Following this acceptance she then told me I had to complete all the work by Wednesday night, June 30th. On Thursday I also found that no materials had been purchased or even chosen. After listening to Mrs. Daou describe what she wanted I purchased all the fixtures and materials at the Home Depot w/o a down payment. When I returned she told me she didn't like any of them. I returned them. On Friday Jube 25th she called me and asked that we meet her at Lowes in Orleans. We dropped our other work and me her at Lowes and shopped for 4 hours. We loaded our vehicles and returned to Ottawa. I left to find the wall tiles at three(3) different Home Depots as no store had enough. I purchased 10 boxes of 45 tiles each, plus all the other accessories and materials needed. We commenced work on the home late Friday and closed off for the weekend. About this time Mrs. Daou became very emotional about having the work all done by Wednesday night. The stress she put us under was made much worse by her constant checking every 30 minutes and then the same from her sons who just sat in the living room instead of offering to help. On Tuesday June 29th her son, Fadi Daou, older son introduced himself and started to ask us questions about the work as well. It was a major interruption because everytime someone asked us to explain things, we had to stop our work and respond to them. This was obviously their first experience at a renovation because they didn't get the message that "time is money". Instead of quietly watching us work and writing down their questions they just interrupted our work whenever they wanted. With Fadi and Shin we now had three (3) people anmd three bosses asking us how work was going. All we wanted to do was get the work finished quickly and efficiently, as possible to meet Mrs. Daou s deadline, but the interruptions continued. By Wednesday June 30th, it was very apparent that all the work would never get done by July 1st, but if all went well by the end of day on July 2nd we could finish. Nevertheless we were exhausted by Werdnesday nite because of the constant stress of this deadline and the very long days 10-12 hours. As well, my helper missed a washer from the two(2)new faucet s he installed in the other bathrooms. He also experienced a problem with an "ILLEGAL WATER SPRAYER" located next to the new toilet he was installing. According to the City of Ottawa they would need a special heavy duty device as this one was illegal because it could cause wastes to enter our drinking water supply. As a result of the plumbing problems I waived any charge for his work. The following day when I presented them with an invoice based solely on the new bathroom work, materials and the exact number of hours we spent doing the bathroom work they refused to pay their bill. After an attempt the following day to come to an agreement they made threats toward us in a highly emotional exchange. I left with my mediator and decided to contact my lawyer who contacted Fadi Daou. I did this because of their unstable, emotional and hostile reactions towards us. I thought it best to stay clear of dealing directly with them. My lawyer was asked to settle for a reduced payment of $3000.00 for all the work, that meant a loss of $2900.00. These are the facts and they have been collaborated by two (2) other parties.
4.7
Installed screen/storm door. The house had shifted so they had to make some improvisations. Took longer than expected and cost more than expected but the final result is excellent
Fantastic work Norm
Kim
1.7
AWFUL, TERRIBLE, SHOTTY WORK, EXPENSIVE AND AMATEUR CONTRACTOR! Two two guys showed up at my house. One seemed to know what he was doing and the other didn't seem to have a clue. Contractor's original estimate of cost and time was way off. Took more than twice as long as predicted and since they charge by the hour the final cost was more than double their original estimate. The worst part was that the quality of the work was terrible. I will now have to spend many hours fixing the work from these two contractors. When I told the contractor that I was not satisfied with the work he blamed everyone except himself. He blamed me for my selection of materials, the house, other previous contractor's work etc... DO NOT HIRE THIS CONTRACTOR.
This review is not factual nor is it an honest portrayal of our workmanship or knowledge. This customer purchased all the doors (did his own purchasing and measurements) prior to calling us in to do the work. Our first contact was late evening just prior to the morning when he wanted to have the work done. As I recall he wasn't willing to wait. We weren't provided any plans, information or otherwise. Then the following morning without any prior knowledge other then I have 4 doors to install in my basement (2 minute description) he asked to begin the work then. We arrived at his home about 9am or so, on the pretext that these were simply door jambs with doors to install. Under normal circumstances we should have been able to complete this work in one day with two (2) people. However, due to major problems we encountered with each doorway we were looking at hours of painstaking work per doorway just to get them ready for the doors. Apparently, he had had someone else construct them. Supposedly, he measured them accurately and then purchased doors to fit these measurements. Somehow I don't find any truth to this story. Knowing what we do about the problems we would have quoted two (2) days and about $1000. Note: Home Depot charges $299 and up per door for this type of work, (one of their senior installers also does work for ATHHS. We assumed these doors were close to ready to be installed, except for lock and passage work. When we saw that they were solid core doors, (very difficult to work with and that none of them were close to the measurement of the doorways, we knew a long day was in front of us. (I.e. He had one door opening at 6'3-1/2" feet in height and he gave us an 80 high door to install. To make matters worse the doors were all too wide for their openings. All the doors required us to provide mortise and lock cutting, as well none of the doors had hinge cutouts. In addition, the door jambs had been thrown into a pile and no prior fits existed here either? So we were stuck with major amounts of very detailed carpentry work that we had not been made aware. This client expected miracles from us, without understanding or takeing into consideration that this is detailed carpenry work taht takes time to do right, nobody works without taking breaks in a 10 hour stretch (we did not stop). Under normal circumstances we would have sucessfully complied but in this case, "solid wood core doors" not made to be trimcut with a circular saw that was asking to much for one days work. With the best intentions and limited preparation or tools on hand we attempted to comply. After a long day and close to finishing the last door I mentioned we would need to leave around 6:00 PM. When I invoiced him for our time he refused to pay us properly, saying that we had to stay and complete the final door.(only minor trim was remaining to be done and some other tinkering).We strongly feel that this client deceived us as it was a phone appointment because he didn't mention the measuring problems nor anything else. We did not see the openings, materials nor did we check the door or openings measurements before hand. Had I known beforehand I would have made sure our senior door & window expert with tools was on hand to assist. As it was, we were exhausted after 10-1/2 hours of work at his home, as would anybody and had to leave. In his case," I want it my way and now" seemed to be stuck in his mind, as neither he or his wife were willing to use common sense and have us back next morning. It's unfortunate when people get an overly important view of themselves. I've done major amounts of work for the Head of Health Canada (I can provide photos of work) because of our care and work ethic. They have found ATHHS and it's employees to be very understanding and reasonable people. For those reasonable people we try even harder next time and salute you.
Around The Home Handyman Services has a TrustScore™ of 1.2. The average TrustScore™ for other businesses providing similar services in Ottawa and the surrounding areas is 3. For detailed information on how TrustScore is calculated, click here to learn more.
The following elements are used to calculate TrustScore:
| Customer Reviews | Last 12 Months | All Time |
|---|---|---|
| Total Received | 0 | 10 |
| Approved | 0 | 10 |
| Unverified | 0 | 0 |
| Suspicious | 0 | 0 |
| Overall Rating | 2.3/5 |
| Complaints Received | Last 12 Months | Last 3 Years |
|---|---|---|
| Suppliers & Creditors | 0 | 0 |
| Employees & Sub-Contractors | 0 | 0 |
| Transparency | |
|---|---|
| Posted License Information | Not yet provided |
| Posted Liability Insurance | Not yet provided |
| Posted Workers Compensation | Not yet provided |
| Company Website | Yes |
| Social Media Profiles | Not yet provided |
| Endorsed by Peers | Not yet endorsed |
| In Business Since | 2003 |
| Member of TrustedPros Since | 2007 |
TrustedPros does not validate certain information provided by contractors and vendors in conjunction with the creation or maintenance of their profile and we cannot endorse or guarantee the performance of any contractor. TrustScores are provided for informational purposes only. We urge you to use the TrustScore™ in conjunction with the tips provided in our Hiring Guide to maximize the probability of hiring the best professional for you project.
We provide a vast range of HANDYMAN SERVICES and INDEPTH CONSTRUCTION and RENOVATION Projects for BOTH residential and commercial clients located throughout the Greater Metropolitan Ottawa and Gatineau area. We offer experienced practitioners who are insured, bondable, courteous, prompt and professional.
We accept Master Card, Visa, and Debit Card. Around The Home is a Proud Member of Eastern Ontario Better Business Bureau since 2003 and has an A+ Rating. Due to Privacy Laws References Upon Serious Request. Call Day or Night 24 Hours
We carry $2.0 Million Public Liability Insurance
We also have a WSIB eClearance Certificate
| Main contact(s) | Norman Richter , Gerry |
| Alternate Phone Numbers | 613-222-3240, |
| Listed with TrustedPros since: | 2007 |
| Residential work | Yes |
| Commercial work | Yes |
| Warranty | No |
| Accepts credit cards | Yes |
| Year established | 2003 |
| Offers financing | Yes |
| 24 Hour emergency service | Yes |
| Legal structure | Sole Proprietor |
| Licensing information | Contact Around The Home Handyman Services to request licensing info. |
| Insurance information | Contact Around The Home Handyman Services to request insurance details. |
Check local laws pertaining to license requirements and verify license and insurance details provided by the contractor prior to hiring.
Around The Home Handyman Services has contributed 40 responses to the following questions posted in the 'Ask the Pros' forum
