I know a guy

I make connections: people with houses, houses with buyers and often, people with people. Because I not only sell real estate, but own and manage a decent amount of it, I have a pretty in-depth figurative rolodex. You probably have opinions to share as well. This is a place to share and compare that kind of information. Check out the areas of home maintenance, see some of the people I use and how the experience went. If you are passionate about a supplier or contact, leave your comment below and I will periodically add the information to the permanent directory below. If you choose to make contact, tell them where you got their name and let me know your impressions. I want this information to be up to date and most importantly reliable. Things change and different people appreciate different things. I always get multiple bids on larger projects or jobs I cannot estimate myself. That being said, I hope this is a good start and helpful.

General Construction / Maintenance/ Re-modeling

Norlin Builders, Skip Norlin (608)209-0985 or via email at nbco@msn.com Skip is able to tackle medium to large projects and remodels, think new garage, finish the basement, new windows and doors. His work is as impeccable as his truck is clean.

The Isthmus Handy Man, Dennis Harrison-Noonan I met Dennis through a friend and saw the work he did on his own mid-century home. He also is a resource to the local chicken owners offering Chicken Coops of all sizes and styles. He can be contacted via email at im-handy@sbcglobal.net.

Rob Rivoire, (608) 347-1408 AccessibleHomeRemodeling.com Rob is a general handy guy who is also a licensed social worker. He specializes in tile repair and installation as well as accessibility modifications.

Black Dog Construction, Ben Jones Ben is a neighbor and seems to specialize in medium to small sized handy man tasks. He comes highly recommended by several other neighbors though I have never had him work for me as we share many of the same skill sets. Willing to tackle anything that will alone or in combination make a half days work, he is a resource for people that may be uncomfortable tackling modest home repairs on their own. He can be reached at (608) 658-0602

Plumbing

Jack the plumber. Jack is a licensed plumber and has taken on any size job for me and my clients. He works on a time and materials basis and can give a good idea of the cost before any commitment. Save any surprises (which he has always handled in stride) you should be all set. His schedule is very full but he is at the same time pretty flexible. He can be reached at (608) 669-7473.

Howe Bros. Plumbing, Reagan Howe Howe Brothers, Do it yourself plumbing, is located on Williamson Street. They have everything you need and if they don’t they can get it. Working on old houses as I do, he is a godsend. The phone number is (608) 257-2884 and they have a website too.

Roofing and Siding

Carl Cure Roofing, Carl Cure (608) 333-6809 Carl sided my own home, made repairs to a few homes I have sold, and also roofed a few friend’s homes. I have been impressed by his straight shooting nature and willingness to address concerns during or after the job.

Heating and Cooling

Heating and Cooling on Beld St. (608) 256-3950 I always say on Beld St. because of you know Beld St. you know it is low overhead country. I have never been to the “showrroom” if there is one but imagine to be simple and to the point, just like the owner, Gary. They have replaced a furnace or two for me as well as a client or two. They were recommended to me by several people and I have used them several times for new installs as well as repairs. Gary the owner or his son are often the people who arrive at the door and I like that.

Windows

Window World (608) 310-3160 This is not so much an endorsement as a “how it went for me”. I have used Window World 3 times, so they can’t be that bad. They advertise a window installed for 189$ and that is not far off from the truth, even if you choose the energy star rated window. The chance you get a lousy installer is the risk, mine have varied from slightly below average to really decent. I can tell the difference and would only recommend them if you can too. The windows are decent and similar to windows you might find at Menards or Home Depot but they come installed for the same price. I have moved on to doing my own, but for a couple windows, or a rental, you might find it to be a good value. I did, three times.

Electrical

SNS Electric Drue and Ray (920) 382-6085 These fellows cam highly recommended by a builder friend and I have since had them upgrade the service in one of our apartment buildings. This job was no small task (4 100 Amp services). They were capable and pros at both the job as well as customer service. I also found them very price competitive.

AB Electric (608) 423-7155 I kind of stumbled on to these fellows. They were a choice of an out of town client. They tackled some knob and tube removal on the home I had listed and later for some additional clients, all with good result and competitive bids.