Handyman PHD

Rachel L.

Ivan did a fantastic job repairing my door frame. He also fixed the door so that it would fit, an issue I've had since I moved in. His attention to detail was awesome, the repair is seamless. Price is also very reasonable.

Mengjia W.

Ivan was very communicative, arrived on time, and did an excellent job fixing the handrails on the stairs to the extent that we no longer could tell where was the broken part. The quote we got from him was the most reasonable one, highly recommend and we would come back to
him if we need anything else.

Cynthia L.

Courteous, on time, knowledgable and talented. Excellent attention to detail and helpful.

I reach out again when we need a handyman!
Five Stars

Jordan G.

After having a huge tree fall out in our yard and take out 5 sections of our fence, we took our time to get it fixed as we had to get the tree removed first. As we've done with many projects, I'll put it out on Yelp and get some quotes from people. While Handyman PHD and Ivan weren't the cheapest quote, he was very quick to respond and discuss price and timeline. When day of the repair came, I misunderstood what ""fence sections"" mean and instead of the 2 I thought needed to be replaced, it was 5+. Ivan sent an updated quote from the house just to make sure I was okay with it, and did the job in less than 7 hours, and did a great job.

Reed E.

He did a great job. You can't even tell the chair was broken.

He was very punctual, polite. I highly recommend Handyman PhD.

Katharine Gustafson

We needed a number of framed pictures hung and a soft close drawer repaired. Ivan did a fabulous and meticulous job addressing both tasks. In addition, he was prompt, very polite and professional. We intend on retaining them to resolve an issue with our hardwood floors in the immediate future.
Great value for the cost!
Katharine G.

Sabrina L.

Absolutely amazing experience for a project to replace my kitchen faucet. Ivan was extremely professional and helpful, and the price was very reasonable. Would definitely turn to Handyman PHD for all household concerns in the future, he is basically a magician!

Christine B.

Handyman PhD did a few projects for me: repaired a fireplace enclosure, fixed the lining on a door, and fixed a hole where curtain screws came out and patched it up. The communication was excellent, availability was good, he came when he said he would, and worked quickly and efficiently. I had a good experience and would recommend him to others. He is pretty new to Yelp, but also has good reviews on Thumbtack.

Kelly R.

(Edited for length)

My Badger 100 Insinkerator garbage disposal had frozen up. I used a broom handle to lever the turntable into a fraction of a turn. Tried the disposal again and it ran.

A couple of days later, my wife said the disposal wasn't working again, AND it was leaking.

The plumbing connections weren't leaking. The water was flowing down through the machine and out the bottom.

With study, I learned that many disposals are not rustproof, just galvanized; and once that wears off, corrosion and leakage begins.

I discovered the Waste King L-2600. Its grinding chamber is polymer (can't rust), and the working metal parts are stainless steel. I ordered 2.

When they arrived, I looked for a contractor. Yelp sent out requests on my behalf, and I got 4 responses. One couldn't come when I wanted them. One had bad reviews on Yelp. The only response I got from a 3rd said my request was ""being reviewed"".

Handyman PHD responded. We negotiated, and Ivan came out on my schedule. He and Handyman PHD have many good reviews on Thumbtack.

The Waste King has a different mounting system from the Badger. Having seen many articles and videos on installing the Waste King (WK), I knew what to look for.

ALL the Badger hardware had to be removed from the sink, including the old sink flange and the plumber's putty underneath. Also, the WK comes with two gaskets; one rubber and one fiber. The rubber one goes under the new sink flange, in place of the old plumber's putty, and the fiber one goes on the underside of the sink.

Ivan seemed in a hurry, didn't consult the installation instructions, and was going to put both gaskets under the flange. I told him how they were supposed to go, and he did that correctly. But he also installed the upper rubber gasket without removing the old plumber's putty, and the first attempt leaked.

At my request, he disassembled it, and we both removed the old putty from the sink opening. He scraped most of it loose, and I scoured out the rest with Scotch Brite. That time, when he reassembled it, there was no leak.

But there was a pinhole leak from the old metal trap. In removing the old trap, it broke off where it joined the interior ""house plumbing"". Ivan replaced the trap temporarily with some plastic flex hose. He also removed the built-in power cord, and hardwired the WK.

We scheduled another visit, and Ivan returned with a new PVC trap. He installed it, but it leaked at the interface with the old, rusty house plumbing. When he tried to smooth the pipe end so the gasket wouldn't leak, pieces of it kept splitting off. The pipe face wouldn't smooth. But he had a PVC piece that slid OVER the end of the pipe, past the threads, and glued that in place. Once the glue set, he assembled everything.

We checked for leaks and found none. And the disposal ran.

It required two visits, but that was mostly the fault of the old, corroded plumbing. The longer 1st visit was $200 for 2.5 hours. The shorter 2nd visit was $160 with the 2-hour minimum.

He didn't bring any paperwork, and I neglected to insist on it prior to the start of work. But I did insist on it afterwards.

At first he sent me an e-invoice (a bill), not a receipt. And it was in another client's name. I pointed these details out to him, and he corrected them. So I have an e-receipt now.

Bullet points, pros and cons;

Cons:
Ivan tended to hurry on this job, initially missing some important details, requiring disassembly and correction, and lost time. And it made me nervous about what kind of job I was ultimately going to get.

Ivan and I were both neglectful of the paperwork. A job like this is a business arrangement, and complete and correct paperwork is necessary for the protection of both parties.

The phone number for Handyman PHD always got me voice mail. ""Live"" communication was always via text.

On the e-paperwork, there's no physical address. Even mapping ""Handyman PHD"" on MapQuest or Google Maps doesn't get me an address. Just a vague location on Route 50 in Fairfax City near Campbell Drive.

Usually, when you ""Google"" somebody, you get a few hits. There's really nothing for Ivan. Not even on ""people finding"" services like Spokeo or Been Verified. Thumbtack and Yelp appear to be the closest you can ever get to finding him. All you can do is leave a message and wait.

The Pros:
Ivan was punctual; on time, both visits.
He maintained communications. He was very responsive. Answered every text.
He made time to be on the job when I wanted him. He scheduled for the convenience of the customer.
Ivan was persistent. He overcame difficulties with the job as they arose.
When all was said and done, the job was done well. The installation is dry; no leaks. Everything works.
Ivan was honest with me. We had no documentation at first, but he finally delivered it as promised.
The price was fair, reasonable, and competitive. No surprises, no hidden charges. A Gentleman's Agreement.

I would recommend him. ""All's well that ends well"".

Daniel Q.

Ivan was on time, well prepared and very professional. Worked hard, got the job done right the first time. Contentious enough to put a bag when drilling into drywall that collected the dust and particles ejected. I'd Definitely hire him again.